


By the Moon's Light

by discordiansamba



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-20 08:16:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 76,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8242571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/discordiansamba/pseuds/discordiansamba
Summary: When her kingdom's royal treasure is whisked away by a mysterious thief in white, Princess Suzuki Sonoko sets out to reclaim it- and maybe capture the handsome thief's heart while she's at it. What starts out as a simple quest driven by a maiden's heart soon involves countless people, dangerous curses, ancient witches, and a long hidden truth waiting to be revealed.





	1. The Princess Comes to a Decision (and Neglects to Inform Anyone)

**Author's Note:**

> It's a new story time, and it's time for something completely different! Or well, not completely different per say, but different enough- since the main pairing isn't Heikazu (although that's definitely one of the pairings) and the main character isn't Heiji, for a change. I wanted to try and write a multi-chapter fic that was unabashedly Sonosera, with Sera as the main protagonist, and that's exactly how I ended up with this story. I had some ideas for a fantasy type AU earlier on, but they didn't come to fruition, though some of them came about again in this story.
> 
> This first chapter was quite fun to write! Sonoko's a rather enjoyable character to write as well, really. I really hope everyone is excited for this story, because I think it should be quite fun! Quests, curses, witches, and of course, mystery! All good fantasy staples.
> 
> Until next time! Don't forget to leave a review!

From a very young age, Suzuki Sonoko knew exactly what it was that she wanted in life.

The prettiest dresses and gems that twinkled like the stars in the sky were a given, of course, and as she was nothing short of a princess, there was no limit to the number of those that she could have. She had so many dresses, in fact, that there were times she stumbled upon a particular dress that she had no memory of having made in the first place. There were so many twinkling gems that she was running out of ways to wear them, there were only so many creative ways one could string a necklace, or a pair of earrings, and she had always been of the opinion that gemstone encrusted heels were downright tasteless.

She wanted a best friend, and found one with ease, in the form of Mouri Ran. The fact that she was of commoner's stock was of no importance to her, and she would personally deal with anyone who tried to so much as make her feel unwelcome in the royal palace. She'd even gone so far as to arrange for her to have her own quarters there with her father, after learning that they were living together in such a cramped space. If Ran's friendship came with the package deal of that Shinichi boy, then that was simply the price that she had to pay. Teasing the two all too unwitting lovebirds was quite fun anyways, and she wouldn't miss such a chance in the world.

A magnificent steed? By horses standards, hers was doubtlessly the most amazing of them all, with a coat as white as snow. Grand balls, whenever she desired? There were so many balls that she got sick of having them for awhile, and had refused to attend one for months. The most wondrous foods in all the world? The palace chef was exceptionally skilled, and she never tired of their meals. Those to wait on her beck and call? Sometimes they waited on her a bit too much, really- though she might need assistance getting into some of her more complex dresses, for goodness sake, she could otherwise dress herself just fine. All these things she had, and more, really- for what the princess wanted, her parents would give her, sometimes in excess.

The one thing Suzuki Sonoko didn't have, however, was someone that would lightly kiss her hand, and offer her a dance on this fine night, who would sweep her up in strong arms, and protect her from all the darkness of the world. Someone dashing, someone with good looks, and someone with a splendid personality on top of all that- that was what Sonoko desired. A prince, or a knight- even a commoner would do, really. Oh surely, she had no shortage of suitors- but she could see through them right away. None of them wanted Suzuki Sonoko, the young girl whose heart sought out love- they wanted the Princess of the Beika Kingdom, with their eyes fixed upon the throne, especially now that her elder sister had married off to a foreign kingdom across the sea, and had given up her rights to said throne. That left her to become the crown princess and future queen one day.

Sonoko had very little interest in such men. She was not going to sit by and allow the throne to be snatched away from her by some kind of power hungry grub, no- she intended to become the queen and ruler of her kingdom, soon to be _queen_ dom, once she ascended to the throne. Whoever it was that she would marry, they would have to fully understand and accept this fact, from the bottom of their hearts.

And above all else, they had to be someone that she was in love with. Nothing less would do.

Finding such a person however, was proving to be a challenge. Every pretty face that she encountered turned out to have a not so pretty underside. Briefly, she considered attempting to court Ran- but at that point, her friend's heart was already dead set on the Kudo Shinichi boy, for reasons that she simply could _not_ understand. What on earth was it that Ran even saw in that mystery obsessed young man, who fancied himself as a detective in spite of being no older than herself? Whatever it was, Sonoko doubted she would ever understand, and had no desire to even try.

It was by pure chance, really, that she stumbled across a pretty face that had her heart pounding in her chest. And while this young man certainly came to the palace wanting something, it was not her hand in marriage, nor the royal throne- but rather, it was something else entirely. Something that had the castle's guards chasing after him, an urgency to their step, an almost frenzy to their cries.

Glittering in his hand was a jewel of bright red, the one that he hadn't taken her own in, white gloves tucked neatly in place on them, the young man's soft lips lightly planted a kiss on hers, begging her pardon for disturbing such a beautiful princess on this night. Sonoko found herself letting out a soft squeak, a pink color crossing her cheeks that very nearly matched the shade of her dress. With a coy smile, the young man gave her a long bow, twitching a corner of the edge of his white silken cape, and had vanished from whence he had come.

It was in that moment, that the princess decided that she would make the heart of this young man her very own- even though she had no idea who he was, nor where he had even come from. With a fire burning in her heart, she decided that she would track him down herself. Oh sure, there was the matter of her family's most priceless heirloom, the royal treasure Pandora, said to possess a great and mysterious power, having been stolen from them by this young man, but that was next to nothing compared to her desire to snatch his heart, just as he had snatched away the jewel.

Princess Suzuki Sonoko, heir apparent to the throne of the Beika Kingdom, had already made up her mind- she was going to make this mysterious young thief her own. And to do that, she needed to set out on a quest. Even as Shinichi asked her a million questions about the young man whom she had briefly encountered by chance in the palace hallways, Sonoko secretly plotted her own flight from the palace, knowing full well that her parents would never approve of such a thing.

Money and jewels, those things she had in abundance, to more than pay for such a trip. More than enough to hire someone to guard her from the doubtlessly dastardly forces of the world outside the palace walls. More than enough to hire someone skilled at tracking, who could locate the young thief as if it were a task as easy as locating a missing pup. Oh sure, she could have hired Ran for her strength, the girl being more mighty than half the palace guards put together. Or perhaps she could have even hired Shinichi, who for all that she enjoyed taunting him, was still a rather skilled detective in his own right.

But goodness, where was the fun in _that_? Besides, she was _quite_ certain that they would both attempt to talk her out of it, and once she had made up her mind, there was very little that one could do to change it. And besides, perhaps if her whole endeavor to steal the heart of this mysterious phantom, this mysterious thief, didn't work out so well, perhaps there was still a whirlwind romance to be had with a charming and quick-witted young bodyguard, whose dashing smile would fill her dreams as they held her safe and secure within strong arms.

And though she'd rarely been outside the walls of the royal city, Sonoko nevertheless still knew the place where she should start looking for such a person. She had heard that any number of strong, skilled people passed through the traveler's inn known as Poirot, several miles ride outside of the royal city, and she knew full well what path to take to get there. Doubtlessly, there would be someone there who would catch her eye- and that someone would be more than willing to accept her quest, whether it was the glittering gold that she offered them that would do the trick, or perhaps the challenge that she laid in front of him.

Or perhaps it would be her charming good looks. One never knew.  
_____________________________________________________________

It wasn't that hard to pick out a noble who had disguised themselves to walk amongst commoners, really. They never really did quite grasp exactly how it was that the common folk of their land dressed themselves- this was something that she had seen time and time again, in countless countries now. The material used to make their clothes was too fine, the cut too well tailored to their body, and with nary even the slightest hint of wear nor tear to them. They might as well be parading around in their finest court outfits for all the world to see.

Still, this was probably the first time she had ever encountered one with this much nerve.

The force that she used to throw the doors to the inn open was rather impressive, all told, and there was something commanding in the way that she strolled into the room. Posture was all she had, however- it didn't appear to be in her personality to be that kind of truly domineering person. A noble, obviously, though perhaps one who hadn't been as well groomed as some of the others- one with an adventuresome spirit, but apparently, not a lick of common sense.

Otherwise she'd never be flashing that much gold around in a place like this. Thank goodness this wasn't one of the shadier dens- otherwise the mercenaries and travelers alike would have eaten her alive. Not, she thought, that she would go down without a fight- she clearly had some spunk in her.

"I am seeking a clever, strong bodyguard to assist me on an upcoming quest!" The noble girl declared, a bright smile on her face, even as she did not lower her hood. The material might look rough at first glance, but careful study indicated that it was not so- it was something quite fine in and of itself, and would fetch a pretty penny alone. "I am quite well prepared to pay any such person a fine sum to join me!"

And just as she suspected, the takers came quickly- and out of their number, she could pick out a few unsavory fellows. With a slight frown, she considered her options- she could either leave this foolish girl to her fate, and perhaps teach her an admittedly harsh lesson about how the world worked outside of the castle walls- or she could step in, and save her before she even got herself in danger to begin with. Granted, with that much gold, someone was bound to follow them out of the inn anyways, but still...

She wasn't such a cruel women, really. After all, this girl looked more or less around her own age. Perhaps it wouldn't be bad, traveling with such a person for awhile. Her last mission had her dealing with nothing but old men nearly two times her age, and while there was a charm to that, she had tired of it after awhile. Assisting a reckless noble girl on whatever foolhardy quest she had set herself out on might be a nice change of pace. There was even a chance that she might be able to further her own goals during such a quest, as the lead that she had thought she had had turned out to be for naught.

Besides, she _was_ pretty cute.

"If it's someone clever you're seeking, I doubt most of this lot will be able to assist you, young miss." She spoke up, taking a few steps forward, a broad smile flashing on her face. No sooner than she had drawn attention to herself, did the noble girl in question gasp ever so slightly, placing a hand to her mouth. It seemed that their attraction was mutual then- that was perfect. "I, however, might be able to assist you."

"And what is that makes you believe you're more qualified than the others?" She asked- though it was clear that she had already hooked her from the moment she had raised her voice. "I can't just hire someone without even knowing so much as their name."

"Ah, indeed. Pardon me for my rudeness." She said, giving the noble girl a swift bow, a manner drilled into her by her mother at an early age. "You may call me Sera Masumi, your highness."

That earned her a squeak. "I'm not-" Sonoko began, feeling her cheeks tint a faint shade of red in spite of herself. She had been trying to hide her identity upon entering this place, what was it that allowed this person to see through her so easily? Well, that _did_ seem to be proof enough of the _clever_ part, at the very least.

Besides, someone _this_ attractive couldn't _possibly_ be a bad person. It was easy for her to picture being swept up into their arms, carried to safety, and... oh my. She was letting her imagination all but run away with her there. That wouldn't do- at least not for the moment. There would be time for such fantasies later.

Clearing her throat, Sonoko closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, slowly letting it out. Well, if she knew that much, then there was no point in hiding it. "Yes, well. I suppose that you are clever indeed, to see through my disguise and discover by identity. Very well, I am Suzuki Sonoko, the princess of this kingdom. And I am seeking not just someone clever, but also someone _strong_ for this endeavor, Sera-san."

"I can assure you that I am also quite strong, Princess." Sera told her with a quick grin. "I can out fight any man in this inn tonight, if you care for such a show. You will be quite safe with me."

"No, no, there's no need for such a commotion." Sonoko said after a moment, dashing away her fantasy of such a dashing young lady fighting for her sake. "I will take you at your word, Sera-san. As I have said, I have plenty with which to pay you for your services, should you choose to accept my offer. I cannot say how long the journey may take however- I suppose that would depend on how clever you are."

"The chance to travel with such a fair young maiden as yourself is payment enough." Sera noted, carefully taking one of Sonoko's hands in her own, planting a quick kiss on it. As her cheeks turned a brilliant shade of crimson, Sera merely gave her a pleased laugh, reaching into her pocket and tossing a silver piece by way of the barkeep, the woman catching it in her hands. "That is for my tab. Princess, I think we should continue the rest of this discussion in private."

"Ah, yes, quite." Sonoko said, slowly nodding her head, for a moment caught speechless. She had countless suitors do very much the same thing in the past, but somehow, none of them evoked in her the same feeling that this one did. It fluttered her heart almost as much as the thief's kiss had. My, my, my- perhaps no matter how this journey of hers turned out, she would emerge from it victorious.

Though she supposed if she was going through all of this trouble, she might as well locate her family's heirloom jewel and bring it back home on top of that. No one had shut up about it in the past few days, as if they were caught in some kind of frenzy, everyone going on and on about what would happen if it had fallen into the wrong hands. Granted, she had heard legend about the jewel's mysterious powers ever since she was in diapers- it was the pride of her nation, after all. But it wasn't as if she believed every tale that she heard.

That said, the prospect of eternal youth was rather tantalizing- but not if it came with eternal life. She'd rather not watch those that she loved grow old and leave her behind. What would life be without the likes of Ran by her side? Even Shinichi too, she supposed. It would become rather lonely very quickly without either of them around.

Allowing Sera to whisk her out of the inn, Sonoko followed her to the stables, where they fetched their horses. She didn't quite understand the flabbergasted look on the youth's face as she paid him with a gold coin for the trouble of looking over her steed- nor why he thanked her so profusely afterwards. Perhaps the lot who frequented this inn did not tip? She had thought such a thing was common custom amongst common folk.

"Now then, princess. Before we depart, I must know what our destination should be. Though as the hour draws late, perhaps it should be to an inn." Sera said, effortlessly securing herself on her horse, watching with slight interest as Sonoko did very much the same. So she had quite a bit of experience riding a horse properly, and not just on a side saddle, then.

What an interesting princess.

"If it's an inn we seek, what is wrong with this one?" Sonoko asked, glancing towards the building, looking back towards Sera with a look of befuddlement on her face.

"After flashing all that gold around, your highness, I'm afraid you've gone and made yourself something of a target." Sera advised her. "Should we stay in this very same inn, some of the more unscrupulous folk might very well attempt to attack you as you sleep, in order to steal what it is that you have."

"Really?" Sonoko blinked, almost looking alarmed by this information. "So there's really people who do such things? I had heard about them from Shinichi, but I never could have imagined..." Trailing off, she put a hand to her chin, considering the words of the mercenary woman she had just hired. "Very well then, Sera-san, since you seem to have more knowledge about this sort of thing than I, I trust that you will lead me to a good inn in place of this one."

"But of course, your highness. I have become quite familiar with this area in my most recent travels, after all. There is an excellent inn not two hours ride from here." Sera told her, commanding her horse to walk several paces forward. "Perhaps our conversation will wait until we are secure in a private room. If it's a princess that's doing the questing, I'm certain that it must be something rather important."

"Oh yes, indeed." Sonoko said, nodding her head, ordering her horse to follow suit. Well, the jewel was important to her country, but her love life was important to her- both were on the same level, really. "It's a very important quest."

"Then I look forward to hearing the details. Now then," Sera began again, noticing the glint of watching eyes out of the corner of her own. "How fast can you ride, your highness?"

"Eh? Why?"  
______________________________________________________________________

Naturally, when the princess was nowhere to be found in the castle that morning, there had been quite a bit of panic. Fearful that something might have happened to their daughter, not so long after the disappearance of the kingdom's royal treasure, the King and Queen of Beika quickly set about to hiring someone to solve the mystery at hand. In absence of their royal advisor, the task fell upon his son- who from the very start, had a vague feeling that there was no need for panic.

Kudo Shinichi, after all, knew the princess quite well. And while this was certainly the first time that she had absconded from the palace entirely, it was hardly the first time that the princess had pulled something of a vanishing act. They would usually find her, hidden away in one of the palace's numerous secret rooms, relaxing and enjoying herself instead of burying herself in her studies.

And indeed, once he entered the princess' room, he knew at once that no foul play had taken place here. If anything, what became amply clear to him was the fact that the princess had chosen to leave on her own, packing her bags and slipping away into the night. Racking his brain and trying to think of a reason why Sonoko would have done such a thing, Shinichi rubbed his forehead, as he drew a rather obvious conclusion. If there was one thing he knew about the crown princess of Beika, it was the fact that she was easily smitten by those who were rather attractive- and there had been that flutter to her eyelashes when she had described the thief from the other night to him. He had passed it off as nothing more than a simple fancy that wouldn't go anywhere, but...

"Don't tell me she left the palace to chase after a _thief_." Shinichi heaved a long suffering sigh, shutting his eyes tight, trying to process this theory. How did she even plan on doing it? He hadn't failed to notice that the princess had all but emptied her coffers, so she most likely planned on hiring someone to do the finding for her. That was cause for worry- because again, Sonoko was always the type lulled easily by a pretty face. If the pretty face that she happened to decide to hire was only pretty on the outside...

Not to mention, there was the chance that someone with foul intents might take notice of her, since Sonoko didn't seem to quite grasp all the differences between nobility and the common folk. She had probably flashed around the gold that she had brought with her, and if there was one thing that Shinichi knew about mercenaries and those looking to be hired, it was that there was no small number of unscrupulous folks amongst their bunch.

"What should we do, Shinichi?" Ran asked, a deep frown on her face as she glanced over the room. She had drawn more or less the same conclusion he had, purely on the basis that she knew her best friend so well. "Sonoko's never been out of the palace on her own before."

"We go find her." Shinichi said simply. "It's Sonoko, after all. She probably left a trail."

"That's true." Ran said, nodding her head. "I'll go prepare our horses. I'm certain that someone in the town must have seen the princess leaving."

"If her horse is missing too, which I suspect it is, then there's no way that someone didn't notice her slipping out last night." Shinichi muttered, half to himself. Granted, he was somewhat impressed that Sonoko had managed to escape from the palace so neatly, without rousing any guards- perhaps he hadn't been giving her quite enough credit. Well, since dawn had already broken, and there were no riders coming in with demands of ransom for the king and queen, at the very least, nobody had taken advantage of the young princess in so far as kidnapping her.

She still could have been robbed, though. Sonoko had a sharp tongue, but that wasn't enough to defend herself with, at least, not against _that_ sort of folk. It was, however, an excellent weapon against all too pushy noblemen.

Quickly relying the information he had gleaned from her room to the palace guards who had accompanied them there, he watched as a look of relief crossed their faces. Quickly promising to go and inform the king and queen, he watched as the man took off in a hurry. With a slight frown, he folded his arms in front of his chest, wondering if perhaps he should return to his own quarters and pack his bags for a trip.

No, it was _Sonoko_ they were chasing after, after all. Finding her couldn't possibly be all that difficult. Whatever foolish quest she had set herself out on, for whatever foolish reason there were behind it, he would drag her back home and make her apologize to both her parents, her servants, and the palace guard alike for putting them through such trouble. Honestly- just because she happened to find the thief that had the audacity to swoop into the castle in such an outlandish outfit and snatch away the royal treasure, it didn't mean she had to actually go and try and chase after him.

More effort, perhaps, should be put into finding the princess an acceptable suitor, otherwise he feared that something like this might very well happen again. For the time being, he could only hope that whoever it was that Sonoko had ended up hiring, should she have already done that much, wasn't the sort of folk that he was dreading they were.  
__________________________________________________________________

"Eh? The royal treasure?" Sera blinked, for a moment thrown off guard by the princess' words. "I had heard that there was an amazing treasure contained within the walls of the royal palace, but are you saying that someone stole it away?"

"Eh? You didn't know, Sera-san?" Sonoko blinked, somewhat surprised at the revelation herself. Given how much the palace had been buzzing with the news, she would have assumed that everyone would have heard about the matter by now. But then again, now that she thought on it, she had only ever heard of it discussed in low tones by the palace guard and the treasury department- as well Shinichi and her parents. It had never even so much as come up on the lips of those who attended the royal court, nor even amongst the servants.

Perhaps word hadn't spread yet after all? Perhaps the disappearance of the jewel was supposed to be something of a secret. Come to think of it, that might actually make sense. If the people of her kingdom knew that such a thing had been stolen, there might actually be a full blown panic. Perhaps she should make a note of that for the future.

"It's the first I've heard of it." Sera confessed to her. "So you're looking for the thief who stole the royal treasure in order to get it back?"

Morning had broken bright and early- a bit too early for Sonoko's tastes, really, as Sera had roused her nearly at the crack of dawn to prepare for the day ahead and to eat breakfast. They hadn't even had a chance to discuss the matter for which she had been hired the previous night, as Sonoko had been so exhausted by the time they reached the new inn, that she had simply allowed the princess to take to bed. They could talk the matter over just the same in the morning, it made no real difference to her. With a meal of fresh bread, cheese, and butter laid out in front of them, she listened carefully to the princess' words.

"Well, something like that." Sonoko said, nodding her head, biting into another loaf of bread. Honestly, she hadn't been expecting much from a commoner's inn- but this bread was soft and fluffy, and frankly, she couldn't get enough! The baker ought to be commended. "The palace guard's been in an uproar about it ever since it happened."

"What kind of person was he, this thief?" Sera asked. "You saw him, right?"

"That's right." Sonoko said, nodding her head, unable to help but let a content sigh of fond memories escape from her lips. "He was a proper gentleman, really! He kissed my hand and apologized for disturbing me and everything."

"No, I meant what he looked like, not how he behaved." Sera said after a moment, giving her an awkward grin. "Though I suppose I am grateful that the thief seemed to have no foul intentions towards you, princess."

"Ah, well, yes." Coughing into her hands, the faint pink that tinted her cheeks both from embarrassment and her fluttering heart alike, Sonoko tapped a finger on the table. "He wasn't too much taller than I, perhaps around your height, Sera-san. He looked fairly young, but..." Frowning a little, she tilted her head, putting a finger to one cheek, trying to recall more details. "That's strange. I can remember that he was attractive, but I can't quite recall entirely what it was that he looked like. Dark hair, I think, though. He was all dressed up in white, from his gloves to his cape."

"A thief wearing white?" Sera asked, quirking her brows, frowning a little. "I feel like I've heard something in regards to that before, but..." Folding her arms in front of her chest, she leaned back in her chair in thought. "But if that was the case, I doubt that the man you saw would have been _young_ , unless he's one of the unaging and immortal."

"Have you heard of such a thief before?" Sonoko inquired, leaning forward, even as she took another bite out of her bread.

"Once before. It was more of a legend though." Sera told her with a slight smile. "A thief clad all in white, with any number of magic tricks at his disposal, who appeared on nights of the full moon. They called him the Moonlight Magician. But he hasn't been active in nearly ten years or so, and if I recall correctly, he was theorized to be in his twenties or thirties back then, so..."

"Maybe he could have had a son?" Sonoko asked, tilting her head.

"It's possible. It could also simply be an imposter." Sera said, nodding her head. "Still, stealing the royal treasure of Beika for what might very well be his first heist. That's rather impressive in it's own right. I have to say that I admire his guts, if not his trade."

"You think it's his first?" Sonoko asked.

"Otherwise I'm certain I would have heard rumors on the wind in regards to the return of such a legendary thief already." Sera told her, giving her a small smile. "Well, if it's such a thief we're after, then I know just the place to begin looking. There's no better place to seek out a thief but in a den of thieves. Thankfully, I happen to know exactly where the current hideout of the thieves guild of this kingdom is."

"Is that safe?" Sonoko asked, a note of hesitation to her voice. "Would they really tell you anything?"

"Normal thieves and bandits don't really care for ones who stand out half as much as the Moonlight Magician does. If they know something, they would gladly tell me. As for it being safe, well... stick close to me, and there shouldn't be a problem, princess." Sera told her, rising to her feet, tearing off a chunk of bread with her teeth and swallowing it down. Well, there was a reason that she needed to go there herself- but she wasn't lying, either- there was a chance that these thieves might very well hold some information that was as useful to the princess as it was to her. "But first, let's do something about those clothes of yours."

"Eh? My clothes? Is there something wrong with them?" Sonoko asked, glancing down at the ensemble that she had prepared for today. She thought it was an excellent rendition of a commoner's riding outfit- had she perhaps been mistaken?

"Your clothes, princess," Sera began, an easy grin on her lips. "...are how I knew you as such to begin with. Thankfully with some quick mending, I believe you should fit in a change of mine quite snugly."

At the faint tint of pink that rose to Sonoko's cheeks at such a suggestion, Sera couldn't help but let her grin grow.  
_________________________________________________________________

"Yes, there was a girl like that here."

Somehow, Enomoto Azusa had the strangest feeling that the dawn would bring guests inquiring about last night's rather unusual patron- one who hadn't actually bought anything, but who had tipped the stable boy rather handsomely. She was quite certain that he had cried.

"Really?" Ran spoke up, leaning over the counter of the bar, a look of relief passing through her. Shinichi had been right, Sonoko's trail had been rather easy to follow, thus far. They had tracked her to this traveler's inn on the outskirts of the royal city with a fair amount of ease. Shinichi was confident that they would catch up with her today, though Ran, for her part, had some doubts- and had returned to her own quarters to fetch some supplies that they might need for traveling, just in case.

Shinichi had told her it would be unnecessary, but he would thank her when her hunch turned out to be right, and they wouldn't have to waste valuable time by turning back around to fetch such things, or risk pressing on without them.

"Yes." Azusa nodded her head, setting aside the glass that she had been cleaning. "I remember her very clearly, as she made quite the show when she came in. It's not often that you see her type come here, especially not one showing off half as much gold as she did. She said she was seeking to hire someone both clever and strong to accompany her on a quest."

At her words, Shinichi sucked in his breath, internally grumbling over the fact that Sonoko had done very much the same thing he'd been fearing that she would do. Given that the owner of the establishment didn't seem too worried, it didn't appear that any harm had fallen upon her within it's confines. He had come to know Enomoto Azusa somewhat well, and knew that she was the type who ran her inn as a rather tight ship- with a little bit of assistance from a fellow he couldn't help but be more wary of. That one came and went, however, and he didn't appear to be in at the moment.

There was still a chance that something bad could have happened to her elsewhere all the same.

"And? Did anyone take her up on her offer?" Shinichi asked.

"There was one." Azusa said, nodding her head. "A young lady who gave her name as Sera Masumi. I'm afraid I can't tell you much about her though, Kudo-san, as this is the first time I've ever seen her face around these parts. It appears that she came here in search of her brother, however."

"Her brother?" Shinichi asked. "What kind of impression did she give off, this Sera Masumi?"

"I don't think she would have intended the girl any harm, if that's what you're asking after." Azusa told him, a slight smile on her lips, watching as relief washed over their features- more so on Ran's than Shinichi's. Whoever this girl was, she seemed to be somewhat important to them. "She spoke in low tones to the girl, so I couldn't quite make out what she was saying, but it appears that she got herself hired to chase off those who might wish to trick her. She was quite loud about that part, to the annoyance of some of our other patrons."

It was lucky that she hadn't started a fight in her inn as she had promised- when Amuro wasn't around, it could be awfully hard to put a stop to them by herself. He went off like this by himself sometimes, without too much warning- perhaps she ought to consider hiring another guard for her inn on top of him.

"What a relief." Ran said, placing a hand against her heart, letting out a long breath. She felt like she had been holding it this entire time- and now she felt relief seep through her, knowing that Sonoko hadn't gone off with anyone bad. "Do you by any chance know what way they went from here, Azusa-san? Or perhaps where it was that she was trying to go?"

"I'm afraid not." Azusa said, shaking her head. "Apparently I heard whispers that some attempted to follow her and her newly hired bodyguard, but they lost them rather quickly. I only know that they went further down the forest path, but there are any number of paths that branch off from there."

"Can you tell us about this brother that this Sera woman might have been trying to find?" Shinichi inquired, slightly intrigued by this in it's own right.

"She was rather light on the details." Azusa told him after a moment, putting a chin to her hand in thought. "She told me that she had lost contact with him over a year ago, and set out to find out what might have become of him. Apparently he went by the name of Akai Shuichi, and she claimed that the two of them had a rather close resemblance. I told her that I hadn't heard of anyone like that in these parts though."

"Akai Shuichi?" Shinichi asked, a slight frown on his lips. It wasn't a name he was familiar with either. "Well, thank you anyways, Azusa-san. You've been most helpful to us. Do keep this information to yourself, on the off chance that anyone other than us comes asking, however."

"Is she important, this girl?" Azusa asked, a slight frown on her lips.

"Yes." Shinichi said, heaving a long, exasperated sigh. "More important than I think she fully understands sometimes."


	2. The Princess Is (Not) in Her Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With his prize in hand, Kuroba Kaito returns to his home country, seeking out the one he stole it for in the first place- only to find the cursed princess missing.

With deft hands, Kuroba Kaito carefully ascended the tower, his nails digging into the cracks between the stone used to build it in the first place. There was no other way to ascend the tower but this, at the very least, not that he had ever been able to figure out. There was probably some type of magical way that would have allowed him to directly transport himself into the uppermost room, but even if he knew what it was, it still wouldn't do him any good.

For as talented a court magician as he was, that's all he was- a court magician. He couldn't use _actual_ magic, though he'd tried to learn it as a child. All such endeavors had proved to be rather fruitless, however, so instead, he devoted his attention to fostering the talents he _did_ have- his magic tricks, taught to him by his father, at least, until the man's untimely passing.

He had already begun to lose count of how many times he had made this very same climb. It wasn't a chore for him, not really, considering who it was that was waiting for him. She wouldn't be awake now, however this didn't deter him in the slightest- rather, it was _because_ she wouldn't be awake now that he was ascending the tower today. He had been searching for some method to help the person who resided in this tower for years and years, and with it finally having fallen into his hands, he wasn't going to waste any time in dawdling around.

Granted, he didn't exactly know how to _use_ the item in question- none other than the jewel of legend, the royal treasure of Beika, the gem Pandora. Although it's most famous legend was bestowing immortality, with the massive powers that it possessed, it was rumored to be able to break any curse that it encountered. And cursed was exactly what the girl in the tower was- and rather unjustly at that.

For there was simply no reason as to why one such as Nakamori Aoko should bear such a fate- not only locked away in a tower that normal people couldn't access, but to spend most of her days locked in a deep slumber, only awakening on days of the new moon. Had he not been trained by his father from birth in matters _aside_ from simple magic tricks, which his mother continued to teach him once his father had departed from the world far too early, Kaito might have never had the chance to meet her- and he could only bless his good fortune that he had.

Not that he was quite ready to admit this to the girl in question out loud, mind you. As far as Aoko was concerned, the two of them were simply childhood friends, though of the most unusual sort. He didn't know much about her past before she came to be locked in the tower, other than that she was the princess of some far distant land, one that he had never so much as even heard of. Perhaps it no longer existed within time- perhaps the land itself was not so distant, and this tower was all that remained of it. She wasn't quite sure how she had ended up here either, nor even how long she had been there, nor why it was she was cursed in the first place, only knowing that a witch was to blame.

From time to time, Kaito had nearly encountered the witch in question himself, though she never seemed to wear the same guise. During such times, he'd hidden himself, barely daring to take a breath until she had disappeared into the tower, her form shifting and rippling, allowing her to take flight. Even then, he didn't move a muscle until he was certain that she was gone, taking those familiars that she had brought with her. For if he was caught by her, he didn't doubt that a terrible fate would await him- and he would hardly be able to assist Aoko in breaking her own curse if he ended up with one of his very own.

For awhile, he had considered pleading with the witch to break the curse herself, offering up his services in exchange. He'd quickly rejected such an idea however, not knowing how such a thing would work out. Even if she accepted the deal and didn't curse him outright for being where he shouldn't be, he didn't know what it was that the strange woman would ask of him to do in the first place. He'd rather _not_ have to sell his soul just to save Aoko- that was something she wouldn't want.

He got the feeling that she would be mad at him if she learned _how_ it was that he had obtained the stone with which he hoped to break her curse, but it would be perfectly alright, he reasoned. After all, once the curse was broken, he fully intended to return the jewel to it's rightful owners. Perhaps hand deliver it to that princess whose path he had crossed during the heist- she would probably accept it, no questions asked, provided he do so much as give her a charming smile and a whisk of his cape. Aoko never had to know.

His father had taught him a great many things, passing down to him all that he knew. Including his pure white mantle, and the legend of a thief so mysterious, that nobody had ever come close to catching him. He never truly intended to don the persona himself, trained for it though he was- but the need for it had finally arisen, and thus, Kaito had set out, spending months planning the perfect heist.

One couldn't simply just go up and _ask_ to borrow the royal treasure of a foreign kingdom, especially not when they were of commoner's stock. Thus, his only real option was to steal the jewel. With, of course, the full intention of eventually returning it. Keeping such a valuable item in his possession for an extended period of time seemed like the sort of thing that would only invite trouble. Not just the threat of possibly being arrested for the aforementioned theft, but because there were doubtlessly any number of others who would do _anything_ to get their hands on said jewel as well.

Especially if the rumors of it's mysterious powers proved true, which Kaito was very much hoping that they would. He was depending on it- as was Aoko, whether she knew it or not.

As he drew closer to the tower's one window, Aoko's only portal to the outside word, Kaito's eyes narrowed, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling upwards. He had always had a keen sense for danger ever since he was a child- and something told him that there was something out of the ordinary today about the tower. For one thing, the window was closed tight, when Aoko always had it thrown wide open. He hadn't been able to notice it from the ground, as the upper levels were always shrouded in a thick fog, but as he broke through it, he took full notice of this abnormal situation.

Pulling himself up to the window ledge, and balancing himself rather precariously there, Kaito's eyes narrowed. Pressing his ear against the shuttered window, he couldn't make out any strange sounds within- it didn't appear that the witch was here. He would have seen the massive wolf that was her constant companion pacing the grounds far below, were that the case. Letting out a long breath, the worst of his fears put aside, he carefully tested the window, finding that it was unlocked. Grumbling about having to do this nearly twenty stories up in the air, Kaito reached into his pouch, pulling out a wire set, carefully setting to work. The lock itself was easy- the real challenge was to keep his nerves calm, and to not look down.

It was a good thing that years of experience of climbing the tower had dashed away any fear of heights that he might have otherwise. One could get used to anything if one did it enough times. Hearing the faint sound of the window unlocking, Kaito threw it open, pausing only for a moment to tuck away his wire set, before he slipped inside the unusually darkened tower.

Something was not right. He knew it at once as he entered the room. For in spite of it being nowhere near close to the new moon, the princess was nowhere to be found in her fine bed, the tower's only real luxury. Wondering if by chance she had perhaps fallen into slumber elsewhere within the room, he scanned it carefully, but found no trace of Aoko. Swallowing a little, he took a step forward, placing a careful hand on the pouch where he had secured Pandora, wrapped in a number of wards his mother had lent him in order to hide it's presence from the world. He could still feel it's dull throb as his hand brushed against it, a pulse of power that doubtlessly would tempt those of weaker minds than he.

The moment he'd picked up the thing, it had promised him in soft whispers that it could do whatever he wanted- such as bring the dead back to the world of the living. Such a thing could not be allowed to happen, Kaito already knew, having fully prepared himself to deal with such things. Tragic though it was, the dead should remain dead, no matter how much one yearned to see them. Breaking a curse was one thing, but there were some boundaries that should never be crossed.

It wasn't a dark power, he reasoned, so much as it was power in and of itself- and power could be a very tempting thing to the wrong people. Even to the _right_ people, really. When one had power, one could do anything.

"Aoko!" Kaito called out, growing slightly more frantic. It had taken a week for him to travel between Beika and here, to this tower on the very outskirts of his country, Ekoda. Had something happened in that time? Perhaps a prince had come, like Aoko had always dreamed of, and had whisked her away- and if that was what happened, he could only wish her happiness, much as such a thing bit at his heart. He would, of course, try and track her down even if such a thing were the case- just because a prince was bold enough to scale a tower for a lost princess, didn't mean that they were a _good_ person.

The other possibility was, of course, that the witch had returned to the tower, and had taken Aoko away with her somewhere. And that was an option that filled him with dread. For although the witch never seemed to be inherently cruel- though she had cursed Aoko, she never sought to actively harm the girl, nor did she ever seem to question the appearance of the trinkets that Kaito would often bring her, knowing full well someone other than her visited the tower- she was nevertheless a witch, and her true intentions were unknown. The prospect that Aoko might be some kind of sacrifice had entered his head more than once.

If he had been able to take Aoko out from the tower himself, he would have. But it appeared as if he didn't possess the qualifications to do so. Perhaps it was because he wasn't a prince after all. Aoko herself seemed to believe in such a thing- that one day, a prince would come for her, and free her from both tower and curse alike, though he wasn't quite certain from where she had gotten such a notion.

He was always somewhat jealous of Aoko's fictional prince.

"Aoko!" Kaito called out again, hearing only his voice ring out in the empty tower room. Finding the lantern that was usually lit, he quickly struck a match, filling the room up with warm light. There were no signs of a struggle- and he couldn't help but notice that Aoko's wardrobe was gone. Other than that, everything remained behind, just as it was the last time Kaito had been here, not even a week ago.

He didn't like this. He didn't like this one bit. If Aoko's curse had truly been broken, she would have left behind some kind of word for him, surely, but there was no such thing to be found. As a heavy, oppressive feeling began to sink into his bones, Kaito quickly blew out the lantern at once, deciding that it would be in his best interest to leave the tower as quickly as possible, least he become it's new prisoner in her absence.

Casting one last look at the now eerily empty tower room, Kaito began his careful descent down the tower. He had already gone this far to break Aoko's curse, he wasn't about to let her absence thwart him. Even if she were in the clutches of the witch, he would seek her out, and bring her home, giving her the curse free existence that she had sought for so long.

If he were going to inquire on the matters of a witch, then perhaps his first move would be to seek out a witch. The crimson red witch who lived at the very edge of the forest might be willing to part with some information, for a price. He could only hope that he was able to pay whatever it was that she requested.

He would have to be careful- very careful, to make certain that she herself did not take notice of Pandora's presence.

Koizumi Akako was _not_ someone in whose hands the jewel should fall.  
______________________________________________________________________

As it turned out, Sonoko fit into her clothes rather nicely, with some minor adjustments here and there. With the princess looking less like a disguised noble, and more like a regular person, the two had set out from their inn that morning, heading in the direction of Beika's own thieves guild. She was certain that her information about it's location was correct- it was something that she had obtained after no small amount of effort, after all.

Perhaps it was for the best that she had been looking into the guild herself before the princess came along, really. If there was one thing that she had come to understand about thieves during her travels, is that there was no group more widespread, nor any group through which information traveled faster. Even though it appeared that the rulers of Beika were largely trying to keep the disappearance of the royal treasure under wraps, and the sudden reappearance of the Moonlight Magician after all these years with it, she didn't doubt that some rumors had made their way through the thieves' grapevine.

And if she happened upon the information that she had been looking for herself during the trip, then it would all pay off quite handsomely for her. Although they could be a devious lot as a whole, she had heard that the mysterious head of Beika's thieves guild generally kept them all well in line, though his identity wasn't known to the general public- nor even to those who would be interested in such a thing. Still, Sera had a running theory as to who he was, and it was in part why she had found herself at the traveler's inn the other night.

Although the barkeeper working there hadn't been able to tell her anything, she had a hunch that she might be able to pry some more information out from the young man that she was looking for now. It wasn't often that one managed to escape from the clutches of _that person_ without so much as a curse to their name, and she was certain that it was because of _that person_ that her eldest brother had vanished, without so much as a trace of him left behind.

She could only hope that she wasn't too late. She had heard things- perhaps far too many things.

Still, she had been hired to do a job now- and the matter the princess had brought to her was more pressing because of that. Even though it was still rather early in the afternoon as they approached the location of the thieves' guild, Sera could still make out the loud sounds of clearly drunken men, and briefly spared a glance over towards Sonoko, who cast her a somewhat doubtful look.

"It _is_ safe, right?" Sonoko asked again, a note of hesitation in her voice. Biting her lip, she could feel her heart pounding heavily in her chest- she trusted Sera, of course, but she had never done anything like this before, so naturally, she couldn't help but feel nervous.

"You'll be safe with me, your highness." Sera was quick to reassure her. "Only be careful not to introduce yourself as such. You are simply a palace maid searching for the one who spirited away the royal treasure from those who employ you out of gratitude, correct?"

"Ah, yes." Nodding her head, Sonoko quickly recalled that this was the cover story that Sera had concocted for her. She had to admit, nervous though she was, she couldn't help but be a little excited about all of this. A princess traveling in disguise, with only a dashing young mercenary by her side- now this, clearly, was the kind of adventure that her life had been lacking up until now. "That's right! I'm a simple palace maid, nothing more."

"Good." Sera said, nodding her head. "For the most part let me do the talking, Sonoko-chan." She said, a light grin touching her cheeks at the way the girl flushed from the casual use of her first name. After all, where they were about to go, so she couldn't exactly call her _princess_ or _your highness_. "And try and relax. They can sense fear."

"...Really?" Sonoko asked, growing slightly nervous once more.

"No." Sera said, letting out a quick laugh. "That was a joke. They're thieves, not animals."

"Oh!" Her face growing slightly flushed, Sonoko glanced back down at her reins, clearing her throat, trying to cover her embarrassment. "Right. A joke, of course. How silly of me! I _obviously_ knew that."

As they drew closer to the somewhat rundown looking bar that she knew the thieves of this country had long since made their own, Sera slowed the pace of her own horse, Sonoko quickly following suit. Although there were guards watching the front entrance, they didn't so much as bat an eye at the two young women approaching the place, allowing them to pass through without much hassle. Effortlessly leaping down from her horse, Sera carefully made her way over towards Sonoko's side, hands carefully wrapping around her waist, lifting the rather slim girl from her steed with ease.

The slight squeak that she let out at her action was rather cute.

After tying up their horses with the others, Sera cast a warning look back towards the guards, silently telling them that she would be checking their belongings once they returned, and that should anything be out of order, she would take it up with the two of them personally. Offering Sonoko a hand, one which the princess carefully took, dainty fingers brushing up against Sera's more calloused hands, she gave her another reassuring smile.

"It will all be just fine, Sonoko-chan. Have faith in me."

"I do." Sonoko said, slowly nodding her head, giving Sera a quick smile. Lightly curling her fingers into that of Sera's own, she allowed herself to be lead inside the bar. If it sounded loud and rowdy on the outside, then on the inside it was even more so than she had expected. A livelier atmosphere than she had ever known before, and quite the drunken one at that- and the noon hour had only just recently come upon them!

Watching as Sera gauged the crowd, which seemed to grow more and more curious about the presence of the two unknowns the longer they stood there, Sonoko scooted herself a little bit closer towards her. With a slight nod of her head, Sera lead her towards the bar, letting go of her hand only once they had reached it, turning to the barkeeper, a broad grin on her face.

"Greetings, good sir. I'm looking for some information." Sera greeted him, all but exuding an aura of confidence. Out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but notice the way Sonoko seemed to size up the young man standing behind the counter, their senior by nearly ten or so years, and seemed to come to the conclusion that she liked what she saw. She supposed he was attractive, not that she personally was interested in men- the pale blonde of his hair complimented his dark skin rather nicely. "From your leader, if such a thing could be arranged."

"Oh? This is but a simple traveler's bar, young ladies. If it's the owner you seek, I believe he's out at the moment." The young man spoke up, arching his brows with interest. The lively attitude had slowly been dying out all around them, and now those within the bar were watching their conversation with a vested interest. This wasn't a simple visit, and these weren't simple patrons who had either lost their way in the forest, nor were they seeking to hire the services of the thieves within. This was something different, they unanimously seemed to sense, and by and large, all of them appeared to be curious as to how this was going to turn out.

Some had their hands edging towards their weapons, she noted. Others, those with more experience, she thought, watched them with only mild interest. They had seen such guests before, those seeking use of their grapevine.

"Is he now?" Sera asked, not letting her smile fade from her face just yet. "That's rather strange. I was under the impression that I was already speaking to him."

"Were you now?" The blonde man merely returned her smile, a very practiced, business-like nature to his own, undermining it's otherwise friendly nature. "And whatever was it that gave you that impression?"

"Call it intuition." Sera said simply, leaning into her hand, locking eyes with him. "Are you or are you not Amuro Tooru? Enomoto Azusa from Poirot seems to be missing your services at the moment."

"There's hardly a law against having more than one job." Amuro noted simply, carefully setting down the glass that he had been cleaning. "But very well. You've caught me out. If I were to say that I'm the owner of this place, what is it that you would do, young miss?"

She didn't miss the way the hands of those watching them drifted ever so closer to their weapons at his questions. If she tried anything funny on him, without a doubt, they would attack her at a moment's notice. Even _she_ might have trouble escaping from here then, especially whilst protecting Sonoko at the same time- but she had no intention of doing anything like that, and thus, she wasn't worried.

"Nothing at all, Amuro-san." Sera said simply, leaning back, glancing over towards Sonoko. "As I mentioned earlier, we are merely seeking some information. Nothing more. Searching for a certain thief, in fact."

"And what, pray tell, makes you think that I would give up one of my own?" Amuro asked, deciding to throw aside the illusion that this was merely a simply bar. It was quite clear to him that she knew full well what this place was, and knew full well who he was. She had that advantage on him, though for reasons that he couldn't quite place, there was something somewhat familiar about this person. He had a feeling that he might have met her somewhere in the past, but for the moment, he was having troubling placing exactly when and where.

She'd been much younger at the time, of that he was quite certain.

"Because the one we seek isn't one of your own." Sera told him. "We're looking for the Moonlight Magician."

There was a certain stillness that came to the air at the mere _mention_ of the legendary thief's name, as if her words had summoned up a phantom. Sera's expression didn't waver, however, nor did that of Amuro's own. Closing his eyes, he let out a faint laugh, shaking his head. "So you're chasing a ghost, then."

"Not quite a ghost, not yet. This young lady here has seen him quite recently." Sera said simply, glancing over towards Sonoko, giving the girl a nod of her head. In turn, Sonoko nodded her own head, quickly confirming her words. "I'm certain that someone like you has already heard the fuss buzzing about the royal palace."

"Ah yes." Amuro said simply, opening one eye, glancing over towards Sonoko, casting an assessing look towards her. She had been disguised rather well, but it wasn't hard to miss the princess of Beika when one knew what to look for. It would appear that none of those working under him had quite realized this yet- and it was probably best to keep it that way. As good a ransom as the princess could fetch them, he felt that it might simply be too troublesome to deal with such a thing. "I _have_ heard that much, though I know not what was taken."

He had some suspicions, however.

"Something of great importance." Sonoko said curtly, managing to keep herself from blurting out the whole truth this time. "That's all you need to know."

"Great importance." Amuro said simply, gaze sliding from Sonoko, back towards Sera, before letting out a slight. "Very well. I suppose I can pass on what I've heard whispers of before, though mind you, the information is rather old." He advised them. "I've heard word, long ago, that the Moonlight Magician was based out of the kingdom of Ekoda, a land to the south."

"I've heard of it." Sera said simply, nodding her head. Ekoda- it would take a week's worth of time to make it from here to there. That was if she was riding fast- with the princess by her side, she imagined that their pace would be a bit slower than what she would otherwise like. "Are you certain that this information is valid?"

"Quite certain." Amuro said simply. "Though as I said, it's rather old, so whether or not it's _still_ valid is the real question."

"It's a start." Sera said simply. She had heard before that the crown prince of Ekoda was a rather clever young man, one who was famed throughout his kingdom for solving any number of mysteries. While a simple mercenary might not be able to access such a person, the princess of a neighboring kingdom certainly could, she thought, casting a glance over towards Sonoko. Surely if they racked the prince's brain, they might be able to turn up a new lead. "Ekoda. Very well then. Sonoko-chan, why don't you return to the horses and prepare them for travel? I'm certain that none of your men will pay her any mind...?"

"I can assure you that they won't." Amuro said simply, nodding a head to one of the men by the door, silently ordering him to keep an eye on the girl- and some of the rowdier men alike. "Please feel at ease in returning to your steed, young miss."

"Ah, yes!" Sonoko felt her cheeks heat up slightly as he cast a smile her way, wondering how such a handsome young man could have _possibly_ gotten mixed up with thieves- nevermind leading them! Still, Sera was impressive- she had gotten exactly what they had come for with a great deal of ease. She couldn't help but feel her heart flutter a little. "Then, I'll do just that, Sera-san!"

"So?" Amuro asked as he watched the brunette slip through the door, escorted personally by the man that he had selected. "I sense that there's something more that you want to ask me. Something _far more_ personal, if I'm not mistaken, miss mercenary."

"Do I look familiar at all to you?" Sera asked, casting a glance back towards him, growing somewhat more guarded with her words. This, she sensed, might be a testier topic.

"Vaguely, though I don't recall from where it was that I've met you before." Amuro admitted after a moment. "Surely you're not out seeking revenge."

"Not unless you've done something worth seeking revenge against." Sera noted simply, leveling her gaze with him. "I'm searching for my older brother. I've been told we look somewhat alike. Perhaps _that_ might serve to jog your memory."

As the look of comprehension drew across his face, she could make out the faintest hint of anger on Amuro's features- before he quickly dashed such things away, schooling his expression into one of pleasant neutrality. " _Ah_." He said simply, raising his brows. "Yes, that does indeed clear some things up. I had heard rumors that he had gone missing, but I'm afraid I know no more than you do. Besides," the edge to his placid smile grew harder, more artificial, as he locked eyes with her, a deadly serious expression within them. "...If I knew where he was, that man would be dead already."

"That's not a very nice thing to say to his younger sister." Sera noted, the slightest hint of a grin remaining on her face, even as she kept her eyes locked with him. "Are you certain that you know _nothing_ , Amuro-san?"

"I only know that he went seeking out the raven black witch, and never returned." Amuro said simply. "Even I dare not trifle with that one, though met her, I have. If she has your brother, it might already be far too late for him."

"My brother isn't such a weak person." Sera noted simply. "I'm sure you're quite aware of that much."

"Quite." Amuro noted simply. "Now, if there's nothing else, young miss, then I would advise you take your companion and leave quickly, before I decide to take out my revenge on someone much _closer_ to me."

"You wouldn't." Sera said simply, taking a step away from the bar. "If that were the case, you would have done it the moment I told you I was his sister. You're not the type who hesitates."

Letting out a bark of laughter at that, Amuro simply shook his head. "I suppose that I'm not. I'll tell you something more for your troubles then, before you depart. I've heard rumors that there's something rather _strange_ going on in the country of Naniwa, to the west. I haven't been able to contact anyone there for quite some time now. It may be worth looking into."

"I will keep it in mind." Sera said simply, nodding her head. Turning on her heel, she carefully strode out of the bar, rejoining Sonoko with a quick and easy grin that belay nothing that she was thinking inside. "Now then, let us depart, Sonoko-chan. Ekoda's quite a good ride away from us, and I'm certain you're quite eager to make good time."

"Is everything alright, Sera-san?" Sonoko asked with a slight frown. "Your expression looks a bit serious."

Blinking a little, somewhat surprised that she noticed something like that, Sera cast her a reassuring smile. "Everything is quite fine, I promise you. Now then," effortlessly mounting her horse, she took it by the reins. "We've got quite the journey ahead of us, and I think it might be wise to not overstay our welcome here."

Finding that she quite agreed with her, Sonoko nodded her head, ordering her horse to fall into step behind that of Sera's own.  
____________________________________________________________________

"How rare for _you_ to be the one to seek _me_ out, Kuroba-kun."

Akako's silky smooth voice almost twisted in the air around him, beckoning to him as if it were a living thing in it's own right. Enthralling and enchanting, Kaito knew full well it was how many a man had lost their senses to her. Though he was aware of such things on a fundamental level, he himself had always been impervious to this sort of charm, barely batting an eye at the witch before him. Certainly, he acknowledged her as beautiful- he would have to be a fool to not notice that much. But he felt no draw to her, no need to listen to her every beck and call.

And it infuriated her, he knew. It was why he had crossed paths with the crimson red witch in the first place, as she had to see for herself who this young man was that her divining told her would not fall for her charms. He wasn't quite certain what kind of relationship it was that they had developed between them since then, but at the very least, she was usually willing to answer him when he came to her with questions.

She knew of the tower, of course she did, living very much in the same forest as it. But she could only shake her head, unable to give him any details about the girl who lived there, nor the laws that bound her curse, or even so much as how to break it. The witch who had cast it upon her was far more powerful than she, she had told him, and it was impossible for her to undo magic that was stronger than her own.

She knew of the witch though, that woman of black magic, in whose steps ravens and wolves alike trailed after, bound to her by magic. She had lived for thousands of years, though Akako claimed that she knew not where, only that it was perhaps in a place that was rather difficult for normal humans to enter. She was the type who mostly kept to herself, even amongst witches, and never really came to gatherings- and when she did, it was never a good sign.

"Aren't you going to invite me in, Akako?" Kaito inquired, a slight frown on his features. Today's Akako seemed almost a little bit frazzled, though she masked it well. "Long night?"

"Something like that." Akako said, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, a placid smile crossing her features. "A long month, one might say. Do come in, Kuroba-kun, forgive me for my rudeness. You've a look on your face that tells me this isn't a simple courtesy visit."

"You are a perceptive one." Kaito noted, entering into her home, feeling the faintest of magic ripples as he stepped within her abode. Normal humans would never be able to find this place, unless she had already allowed them to- as much as she enjoyed the attention of normal humans, even she appreciated her time alone. "I heard rumors in the village that nobody has seen you for some time."

That was good, really. It meant that she had no time to learn about Pandora, though as of yet, the word of the royal treasure being snatched away from the neighboring kingdom had not yet begun to spread.

"As I mentioned before, I have been rather occupied." Akako said simply. "You came at a good time though, Kuroba-kun. My schedule has freed itself up, as of last week. Were you to come before then, I'm afraid I wouldn't able to so much as invite you inside. Lucifer!" Calling out, Kaito made out the faint sound of a cat's meow in response to her words, finding himself wondering where it was that Akako's familiar was at the moment. "Do bring our guest some tea. It appears that he has much to discuss with me."

"You're being _unusually_ hospitable today, Akako." Kaito couldn't help but notice, quirking a brow. "Did something good happen to you?"

"You could say that." Akako said, a placid smile crossing her features. "I've just recently finished a pact that should prove to be quite useful to me, Kuroba-kun, so I'm in a rather good mood as it were. But enough about me- I sense that you've come here to make another inquiry about your _fair princess_."

Dismissing the mockery that was clear in her tone, knowing full well that Akako was of the opinion that Aoko was anything but _fair_ \- Kaito took in and let out a deep breath. "In that matter you would be correct." He said finally, his eyes narrowing. "She's not there, Akako. Aoko's gone."

The look of understanding that crossed her face was just as quickly replaced by a rather serious one, yet even as her brows deeply furrowed in thought, it did nothing to so much as dent her beauty. Sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if magic was involved in that too. "Are you sure that she hasn't finally been taken away by a prince, as she has always so desired?"

"Without leaving word for me?" Kaito asked, his focus drawn away for a moment by a faint meow, and he turned his attention downwards, to the black cat that twined itself around his feet, a tray carefully balanced on it's head. Carefully picking up the tea cup that was balanced on it, Kaito took a thoughtful sip from it, watching as the familiar made it's way over towards it's witch.

"Yes, I do admit that is rather strange." Akako observed with a slight frown, effortlessly picking up her own tea cup, a frown crossing her features. Taking a slight sip of it, she seemed to carefully consider her options, wondering how best to proceed with this matter. Though she had been willing to assist Kaito with the matter, purely out of interest in furthering her own magical powers, there were boundaries that she wasn't willing to cross when it came to the raven black witch. She knew full well when she was dealing with a power that was far out of her league, and she wasn't about to risk upsetting such forces and bearing the cost.

She knew _exactly_ what kind of things that witch was capable of, and she had already very recently done something that carried the chance of upsetting her. It was small enough that she thought the witch might overlook it, but when it came to the matter of Aoko- perhaps it would be wise not to push her luck any further. She was no coward, mind you- but she was no fool, either.

Though sometimes she felt as if she were surrounded by fools. That bothersome princess in her tower, who had smiled at her as if she were a friend the very first time they met, even after all the suffering that witches had already brought her. This bothersome pest before her, who refused to succumb to her charms, and yet constantly sought her out anyways, asking for favors. Even the bothersome beast that she had rescued upon a whim, who had set out to find the very one who had cursed him in the first place, knowing full well that the closer he drew to her, the more at risk of succumbing to it he would be.

Fools, all of them, really.

And yet.

"If that witch has truly taken her back like I am sure you are afraid she has, then with my power alone, I won't be able to divine where she has been taken." Akako said simply. "I may, however, be able to divine the beginnings of a path for you, Kuroba-kun, that you might take to find her."

"If that's what you're offering, then I'll take it." Kaito said- before pausing, seeming to draw back on his words. "Depending on what the cost might be."

"For a simple divination? Not much." Akako said simply, shaking her head. She wasn't _unreasonable_ , after all. "As it is, I've the need for a few drops of blood from those with no magic in their veins, so you've come at the right time, you might say, Kuroba-kun."

"If it's only a few drops, I'd be more than willing to share." Kaito said simply, rising to his feet. "I need to know where Aoko is."

"And if she is with the witch, what do you plan on doing, Kuroba-kun?" Akako asked, carefully rising to her own feet. "Surely you don't intend to storm her castle and rescue her yourself. You, a mere mortal man."

"I'll have you know I'm _quite_ good at sneaking into places when I've need of it. I've never been caught by that witch before." Kaito told her, a quick grin crossing his features. Well, he'd figure that out when he came to it. Finding out what happened to Aoko in the first place was what now took priority, everything else would fall into place later. "Don't tell me that you're worried about me, Akako?"

"Of course not." Akako said simply, turning away from him. "I have no such worries about what it is that a fool might do with himself. I only think it would be a waste if you got yourself killed before I manage to figure out a way to ensnare you with a spell myself, Kuroba-kun. That's all."

Or perhaps it was simply the fact that without the fools in her life, even the existence of a witch might quickly become _dreadfully_ dull.  
________________________________________________________________

"You've already knocked out several of my men as it is already, young miss, I would prefer if you didn't harm any more." Quirking a slight brow, Amuro was impressed at the fight this one managed to put up. He had heard that there was some scrap of a girl causing his men problems in the nearby forest- that they had tried to ambush her, thinking that a single girl by herself would be a rather easy target.

They had been wrong, and had paid dearly for their mistakes. While at first glance, the girl that he had managed to pin down after no small amount of effort on his part, didn't look like much, there was a fire within her that refused to be put out. The fine material of her clothes, though worn from what seemed to be a long journey and hard travel, indicated that she was perhaps of noble blood. No noble he knew would have been half as feisty as this one however. Clearly he'd been speaking to _entirely_ the wrong sets of nobles this entire time.

"Yer their leader, aren't ya? Shouldn't ya teach yer men better manners?" The girl nearly spat out, glaring fire up towards him. As much as she hated to admit it, he had her pinned well and good- but in spite of that, she couldn't really sense any fighting spirit from him, nor any threat. "I was merely defendin' myself."

"I can see that much." Amuro noted simply, glancing over towards where his men were recuperating, nursing bruises and broken bones alike. "And I'm quite impressed, young miss. Have you ever thought about becoming a thief yourself?"

"I'd rather climb the mountains durin' dragon matin' season." The girl spat out, something which earned her a burst of laughter. Carefully releasing her and stepping back, wisely putting himself out of her strike zone, he allowed the young girl to rise to her feet, glowering at him rather intensely even as she brushed dirt off of her clothes. "If yer the leader of these thieves, then maybe you can help me. In repayment fer yer men nearly ambushin' me."

"This is the second time today I've had a pretty young lady ask me for assistance." Amuro couldn't help but note, a slight hint of amusement to his voice. "Very well. What is that you need, young miss? It's not often that you see one of noble blood so far from home on their own, with nary a knight in sight, and with such wear on them at that. I know your accent quite well- you're from a kingdom to the west, are you not?"

"I'm from Naniwa." The girl said simply, taking note of the slight surprised look that crossed his face at the mere mention of her country. "I'm guessin' from that face ya've heard somethin' about my country. Well, that's not what I'm here ta ask ya about at the moment. Rather, I'm lookin' fer someone."

"You've found someone." Amuro noted, motioning to himself. "Might I have the honor of your name then, young miss? You may call me Amuro Tooru, if you wish."

"Hilarious." The girl noted, a rather sour look on her face. Straightening herself up as much as she could, a clear look of pride on her face in spite of her somewhat mud stained clothes, she locked eyes with him, sending him a rather challenging look, promising him that a rematch between them wouldn't go so well in his favor. "I'm the crown princess of the Kingdom of Naniwa, Toyama Kazuha."

"An' I'm lookin' fer my childhood friend, an' personal knight, Hattori Heiji."


	3. The Princess Has (Dragon)fire in Her Veins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kazuha gathers some information from a rather unlikely source, and gives him some information in turn, while Kaito seeks assistance from the one Akako's oracle pointed him to- the crown prince of Ekoda, Hakuba Saguru.

"Why are ya helpin' me?"

"It's rather simple." With a rather placid, business-like smile on his face, Amuro barely spared the young princess a glance as he passed her a mug of warm tea, which she accepted with no small amount of suspicion. "I believe that you have some information which could prove itself very useful to me."

"Information?" Narrowing her eyes slightly, Kazuha took a quick sniff of the tea she had been offered, before determining that nothing strange had gone into making it. Taking a long drink of it, she let out a long sigh, feeling a bit of tension work it's way out of her shoulders. "What information might that be?"

She had been wondering what would happen after that, but the last thing that she would have expected was that he would invite her back to his private room above what she was quickly coming to suspect was the local thieves' guild. She wouldn't have pegged the young man before her as the leader of a bunch of thieves- but that much was apparent from the respectful way that they all treated him, begrudgingly accepting his edict that no harm was to fall on the princess while she was here as his guest. What's more, he had even offered to clean and mend her travel worn clothes, going so far as to draw up a bath for her- she couldn't remember the last time that she had a proper one.

Probably not at all lately, not ever since she had fled Naniwa, with barely anything but the clothes on her back.

Wearing a spare set of clothes that he had offered her, which Kazuha strongly suspected might have been intended for a barmaid, she was now settled down on a chair that was far more comfortable than anything with this much wear had any right to be. Make no mistake though- she still didn't trust this Amuro Tooru any further than she could throw him. If he tried anything funny on her, there would be hell to pay. She might be a princess bereft of her knight, but that _hardly_ made her defenseless.

"Information about what it is exactly that's going on in Naniwa." Amuro said simply, taking a sip from his own cup. "I haven't been able to get into contact with anyone there for over two months now. I rode to the border to check it out myself, but..."

"Ya couldn't get through?" Kazuha asked, heaving a long sigh. "Well of course ya couldn't. The country's been completely sealed off. Heiji an' I were lucky ta make it out ta begin with, if we'd ridden any slower, we wouldn't have made it."

"The situation must be quite dire for the country's princess to flee with nothing more than a single knight." Amuro observed, carefully leveling his gaze at her. From the look of her clothes, he guessed that they had been avoiding main roads and populated areas for quite some time now. "What exactly happened in Naniwa?"

"I'm not certain I should tell ya, Amuro-san, however hospitable ya've been." Kazuha said shortly, slightly narrowing her eyes. "What is it that you'll do with this information once I give it to ya?"

"Perhaps nothing." Amuro said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "But information is always a good thing to have. It can turn the tide of a dangerous situation in an instant, if you know how to use it right. Therefore, collecting as much information as possible gives one an advantage."

"Besides," he added after a moment, carefully locking eyes with her. "I might just have a bit of information that you're looking for."

"Do ya know anythin' about Heiji?" Kazuha asked, leaning a bit closer to him, heedless of all decorum. She was completely unlike the last princess who had wandered into this place, not even a few hours ago now. He had always heard rumors that the royal family of Naniwa carried some unusual blood in their veins, and some unusual traditions to go along with it- but the usually isolated country was one that also liked to keep it's secrets well. Though they traded with outsiders and allowed them in, those who weren't native usually weren't allowed to go past the royal city. Those who tried to circumvent this by attempting to cross the mountain ranges that flanked either side of it's capital were usually never heard from again.

So to see it's princess this far from home really was quite curious.

"I'm afraid not." Amuro told her, watching as a crestfallen expression momentarily flickered through her eyes, before she steeled herself again. "But if what little I've heard already is correct, I might be able to point you in a direction in which you may be able to help your country."

There was doubt evident in her eyes, but Kazuha nevertheless considered his offer. It might very well be that he was bluffing, and had nothing at all to tell her that may help her- he _was_ a thief, after all. Still, there was a chance that he actually _did_ have the information that he claimed- and she wasn't about to pass it up. That had been part of the reason that she had been traveling in the first place- and her main goal, before she and Heiji had been split up.

Briefly dwelling on that, Kazuha quickly shoved such thoughts aside. There was no way that Heiji wasn't still alive. He was probably searching for her right now as well, having gotten himself so hopelessly lost that he was simply unable to find their meeting place. She wouldn't put it past him.

"A curse." She finally spoke, swallowing back her worries. "The entire country is under a curse."

"A curse?" Eyes narrowing at her words, all but confirming a suspicion long held, Amuro frowned. When he had seen the barrier of thorns that cut off access to the country, he had started to suspect that much- but for the entire country to have been cursed, that was a feat that must have required an incredible amount of magical power. So much so that there was only one witch that he could think of who could even be capable of such a thing.

The raven black witch.

"What sort of curse?" He inquired. "You don't appear to be cursed to me, Toyama-san."

"I'm not." Kazuha said simply, shaking her head. "As far as I know, Heiji an' I were the only ones spared from the curse. I still don't really understand the reason why."

That was a lie, of course. But there was no way that she was going to tell this man that her theory hinged on the simple pair charm that she had crafted for them during her childhood, out of cloth and links of chain. There was no reason to believe that such a simple thing, crafted by someone with little knowledge of magic, could have actually protected them from such a powerful curse, to which the greatest mages of her country had fallen to. Still, she had faith in it nevertheless- and she had faith that as long as Heiji still had his charm with him, he would be able to make his way back to her side.

"It's a sleepin' curse." Kazuha told him finally, locking eyes with him. "The entire kingdom fell into a mysterious slumber out of nowhere one evenin'. Not just the people, but even the animals. Fearin' that somethin' bad might happen ta us if we stayed, Heiji told me that we should try an' flee beyond the curse while we still could. He's always had good instincts fer that sort of thing, so we rode as fast as we could away from the palace."

"Rode?" Amuro blinked, pursing his lips. "You didn't seem to have a horse when my men stumbled upon you, I can't help but note."

"We rode them too hard tryin' ta get out." Kazuha told him, a look of guilt crossing her face. She knew that if they hadn't, they wouldn't have made it- they had barely scraped by as it was, bursting through the massive barrier of thorns before it had the chance to fully surround them. "Thankfully we were able ta sell them ta someone who was okay with waitin' fer them to regain their strength pretty quickly, but we've been without horses since then. In the end, I doubt it would have made much of a difference."

"Now then, Amuro-san." Kazuha said, a sharp tone to her voice, quickly changing the topic. "Ya promised me that ya had some information of yer own that could help me. That wasn't a lie, was it?"

"Of course not." Amuro said simply, shaking his head. "Have you heard the rumors that a thief broke into the royal palace of Beika?"

"No." Kazuha told him frankly, shaking her head. "But I don't see how that information would help me."

"It's what he _stole_ that might help you." Amuro told her simply. "Well, I didn't hear it in so many words, but considering the person who was sent out to look for it, it's probably the truth. Do you know the rumors about Beika's royal treasure?"

"I do." Kazuha said, nodding her head. "Even in Naniwa, we hear about things like that. Rather, _because_ it's Naniwa, we hear about things like that."

"Ah, that's right." Amuro noted with a slight frown, leaning back in his chair. "Your country is the one closest to the witch's country, Lamia, isn't it?" When the princess nodded her head, he continued. "Well, if you've heard the rumors about that jewel, then there's no need for me to elaborate on it any further. In any case, I'm under the belief that it was stolen from then."

"Eh? Stolen?" Blinking, more than a little surprised by this information, Kazuha couldn't help but doubt it just a bit. "Such a thing? Wouldn't somethin' like that be really well protected?"

"One would think." Amuro said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I don't have the details on the theft just yet. However, I know where those who are searching for the stolen jewel have headed. Perhaps if you joined them on their search, you might be able to borrow it for your own purposes when it's found? Surely Beika's king and queen would have no problems lending it out to the princess of another country."

There was something that she didn't like in his words, but he _did_ have a point. Narrowing her eyes, Kazuha recalled the rumors that she had heard about the royal treasure of Beika Kingdom- the jewel, Pandora. Chief among them that it possessed the power to break any curse- surely if she had something like that, freeing her country from it's eternal slumber would be simple.

"A legendary treasure like that sounds like something any thief would like to get his hands on." Kazuha observed, steeling her gaze and turning it on him. "Ya don't have some kind of ulterior motive fer tellin' me this information, do ya, Amuro-san?"

"Hardly." Lifting his hands, making a protest for his innocence, Amuro cast a rather placid smile at her. "I'm simply interested in how these events might unfold. There's someone that I'm looking for who might surface with these events, after all."

"Someone yer lookin' fer?" Kazuha blinked, frowning a little. There was something in the way that he said it that made her think it would be good if he never found this person. A glint in his eyes- killing intent, Heiji would say.

"An old friend of mine, I guess you could say." Amuro said simply, rising to his feet. "And what of the one that you're searching for, Toyama-san? Did the two of you get separated somehow?"

"...We did." Answering him after a moment's pause, still not quite trusting that glint in his eyes, not missing the deft way in which he had changed the topic. "We were attacked by the familiars of the witch that cursed our kingdom. My fighting style isn't suited fer dealin' with such things, so Heiji drew them away from me so I could escape. We promised ta meet up later, but..."

"He never showed up?" Amuro asked. "Are you certain he's not dead?"

"There's no way he's dead!" Springing to her feet, a fury burning in her eyes that lead Amuro to suspect that there might be some truth to those rumors surrounding the royal lineage of Naniwa after all, Kazuha clenched her fists. "Heiji is alive! I know it!"

If he had to say so himself, he was rather skeptical. Most likely her knight had gone and gotten himself killed- and if he hadn't, he doubted that he was _himself_ anymore. Even those with the strongest of wills would bend to that witch's magic- he had come too close to almost doing it himself, once. It was only by pure good luck that he had escaped her, and to this day, he still didn't understand why she hadn't chased after him.

Something told him that he shouldn't tell this girl such things.

"If you insist, your highness." Amuro noted simply, watching as her eyes narrowed at his tone, picking up on his disbelief. "In that case, you might find him should you join the travels of those headed to Ekoda to search for the one responsible for stealing Pandora. The fastest road to get there is to the south of here. It's rather well marked, so it would be quite difficult to get lost. The ones that you're searching for are a young noble girl with short, brown hair, and a female mercenary in light, leather armor, and short, black hair. They're a rather hard pair to miss."

Calming her temper with a deep breath, Kazuha placed a hand carefully over where her charm hung, hidden by her borrowed clothes. There was no way that Heiji could be dead- he might not be a formal knight just yet, but she knew better than anyone how strong he was. "Then, I shall thank ya fer yer advice, Amuro-san. Once my clothes finish dryin', I shall depart at once."

"There's hardly any need to rush, is there? Since you're all dressed up, your highness, why not join us downstairs, and perhaps serve the men a few drinks?" There was a clear teasing note in his voice- and at the way anger flared through Kazuha again, he couldn't help but laugh. "It was only a joke, Toyama-san. You can keep the change of clothes, if you like. It's not fitting for a princess to travel with only one outfit."

Ah, she knew it. Though he might have helped her, she _really_ didn't like this guy.  
_________________________________________________________

"Pardon me, your highness. There is someone who requests to speak with you."

Glancing up from his book with a slight frown, Hakuba Saguru let out a slight sigh. He had long since instructed the palace servants that he was not to be disturbed when he was in his private study unless it was in regards to something rather important. Either there was someone of a good deal of importance here to see him- or someone raising quite the stink until the prince emerged to speak with them. Judging from the frazzled expression on the young maid's face, he was going to guess that it was the latter.

"Their name?" Marking his page and setting aside his book, Hakuba rose to his feet. If someone was disturbing the peace of the palace by demanding to speak with him, he should at the very least hear whoever it was out. If they were simply here to waste his time, he would send them away, but somehow he got the feeling that they wouldn't go away that easily.

"They claim their name is Kuroba Kaito, your highness." The maid informed him, a slight look of relief on her face as the prince spoke. "He refuses to tell us what it is that he needs to speak to you about, however. We don't believe that he's dangerous, however..."

"He's raising quite the fuss?" Hakuba finished, watching as the maid nodded her head. Letting out a long sigh, he simply gave her a small smile. "Very well then. I will see what it is this Kuroba Kaito has to speak to me about. Please lead the way, miss."

"Certainly." With a nod of her head, the grateful maid lead Hakuba out of his study. Curiously, he noted that she wasn't leading him to the hall where requests from commoners were usually heard- but rather to one of the palace's back gardens, a functional garden for the palace's kitchens, rather than one of the more grand affairs meant for nobles to stroll through.

Rather than a guest, he was going to guess this Kuroba Kaito was something of an intruder.

As they entered the kitchen garden, Hakuba glanced around, quickly taking notice of the source of all the commotion. He had heard him from within the palace walls, in fact, that loud voice arguing with the palace guards, telling him that he had a matter of great urgency that he needed to see the prince about- and no, he _couldn't_ just use the commoner's hall, the matter was _far_ too important to be discussed where there were other ears who could hear.

Judging from the look of him, he had probably intended to sneak his way into the palace proper- and had simply gotten unlucky. After receiving news from the neighboring country of Beika that one of their royal treasures had been stolen, his father had ordered the guards to rotate their patrol schedules, and increase security. Such changes had only just been implemented, so it was most likely that the young intruder, who looked no older than himself, really, had not been made away of such a thing.

Clearing his throat and stepping forward, Hakuba cast an eye down on the young man currently being held in a vice grip by one of the guards. He couldn't help but notice the rather curious way he resembled that young man from Beika- that Kudo Shinichi who had the pleasure of working with on a case in the past. Unlike Shinichi, however, it appeared that this young man was of common stock, with a mess of hair that looked as if it had never so much seen a comb in it's life.

"I am Hakuba Saguru." He introduced himself, a stern expression on his face. "My maid here has made it quite clear that you have an urgent need to see me, Kuroba Kaito-san."

"So finally the prince himself comes out." Turning his attention towards him, Kaito narrowed his eyes, quickly gauging the young man that had emerged. There was no doubt that this was the real deal- even if he had only ever seen him from afar before. It was just his luck that Akako's oracle had pointed him in the direction of Ekoda's crown prince, a young man famed both for his good looks and his brilliant intellect alike.

He fancied himself a detective, even. Well, perhaps that would work to his advantage. If he really was as sharp as they claimed, then perhaps he _would_ be able to track down Aoko. Of course, he had no intention of letting him suspect that he was the same person who had stolen Pandora. It was part of the reason why he had allowed himself to be caught so easily- even with the change of the guard, with a quick disguise, he could have made it to the prince's room without any problems.

But nobody would suspect someone who had only been able to make it as far as the kitchen gardens before getting caught to be the same thief who had stolen a legendary treasure. Sometimes there was merit to swallowing one's pride.

"So?" Hakuba asked, deciding to get straight to the point. "What is it that you need of me Kuroba-kun, that is so important you couldn't have taken it through normal channels? Depending on your answer, I might merely have the palace guard escort you away, however..."

"My childhood friend is missing." Kaito said shortly, cutting him off. Just as he suspected, that got his attention right away. "Any more than that, I refuse to discuss with anyone else around, your highness."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Hakuba sensed that the young man was telling the truth. A missing person was a dire matter indeed. Still, even if that were the case, there was still a chance that this could be a trap- even though his kingdom was peaceful, there were always people who were interested in taking the life of it's young prince, for one reason or another. Carefully assessing this Kuroba Kaito, Hakuba decided that he most likely wasn't one of them- and finally, he turned to the two palace guards that had apprehended him.

"Leave us." Hakuba instructed them, watching as the opened their mouths to protest. "You may continue to observe us, but do it out of earshot. If Kuroba-san here wants privacy, then I can grant him that much."

Brushing off his shoulders as the two guards finally released him, Kaito narrowed his eyes, watching as they made themselves scarce. It was only once he was certain that they had gone far enough that they couldn't hear them, that he finally turned back to Hakuba. "So the great detective prince actually listens to commoners? That's a surprise."

"When it involves the matter of a missing person, of course I would." Hakuba said simply, an expectant look on his face. "I am going to assume that this is no mere missing persons case for you to have come this far. Judging from your accent, you're a native of this country, but more from the rural areas, I would assume?"

"That's right. I work as a court magician in the town on the forest's border, for the noble lord there." Kaito told him. That much was true. It wasn't a bad job, really, all things told, though he always aspired for greater heights. "Like your maid probably already told you, I'm Kuroba Kaito."

"The forest?" Hakuba asked, a note of interest entering his voice. " _That_ forest?"

"The very one." Kaito said. "It helps me that you're familiar with it, Hakuba." Watching the slight way the prince flinched at the casual use of his name, he couldn't help but internally grin. He wasn't that good with formalities, honestly. "Have you heard tell of the tower there?"

"There isn't a soul within our kingdom who has not." Hakuba said simply. Of course he knew of the tower of which he spoke- and the forest as well. The forest was said to be a place of old magic, littered with strange ruins. The strangest still was the tall tower, rising higher than any of the trees. No one had ever reached the top of it before, and the top of it was veiled in a thick fog. "It's forbidden to go there. How is this connected to your missing childhood friend, Kuroba-san?"

"Pssh, _forbidden_." With a wave of his hand, Kaito brushed away such a rule. He'd never been the sort to pay attention to such things in the first place. "It has _everything_ to do with my missing childhood friend. She's the one who has been living in that tower all this time, after all. Until _recently_ , that is."

"Pardon?" Hakuba asked, briefly sparing a glance back towards his guards. "Such a thing can't-"

"It can." Kaito said simply. "For the past twelve years, there has been a young girl by the name of Nakamori Aoko living in the room at the top of that tower. And for even longer than that, she's been held prisoner there by curse and witch alike."

"Are you saying that you've been to the top of that tower?" Hakuba asked. "Such a thing isn't possible. In the first place, it's because people kept getting hurt trying to ascend the tower that it was forbidden to go near."

"It's possible for me." Kaito said, beaming in pride, playing the act of the simple country court magician to the teeth. "If there's one thing I'm good at, it's climbing. Well, it was by pure chance that I happened to meet her, though. She nearly dropped something on my head, actually. But if you don't believe me, your highness, I suppose I'll just have to find someone else who _can_ help me find her. I'm sure your loyal subjects would be _very interested_ in learning that their prince ran away from a case with his tail tucked between his legs just because it involves _that_ forest."

"I said nothing of the sort." Hakuba said sharply, narrowing his eyes. "I simply find it a bit hard to believe. But very well, Kuroba-san, I'll continue to hear you out. What kind of curse is this friend of yours under?"

"A sleeping curse." Kaito told him frankly, folding his arms in front of his chest. The fact that he was at least willing to hear him out was a good sign. He didn't quite doubt Akako's divination, but there were times when they hadn't been _totally_ on the mark before. "She only wakes up on the day of the full moon, and on all other days, she is lost to a deep sleep from which nothing can awaken her. I believe that it has an effect on her body as well, for during all the time that I've known her, she's barely changed a bit. Even her hair barely grows."

"A sleeping curse?" Considering this information, Hakuba placed a hand on his chin, his brows furrowing in thought. He wasn't quite ready to believe this young's man's story just yet, but he was willing to consider it, at the very least. "I see. If she only wakes up on the day of the full moon, it's possible that her body is in a kind of stasis while she sleeps. If that's the case, it's likely that she only grows when she's awake."

Generally speaking, there were only around twelve full moons each year- once every month. If Kaito had known this Nakamori Aoko for twelve years, then not even a year would have passed for her- so it was no small wonder that she wouldn't have changed any from when he had first met her. That was, of course, provided that his story was actually true- but if this were some attempt to lure him away from the palace in order to kidnap him for ransom, then a more plausible story would have been far more sensible.

"Well, I've kind of suspected something like that for awhile." Kaito told him. "But that's not important now. What's important now is that the last time I went to visit her in her tower, early this very morning, she was gone."

"That _is_ a bit concerning." Hakuba admitted after a moment. Either this young man was a skilled actor, or the concern that laced his voice was genuine. He was willing to bank on the latter, even as he suspected he was also a bit of the former. The concern at least, probably wasn't a lie. "You mentioned a witch."

"I did." Kaito's expression grew grave at this point- the one he was about to speak of was not someone that one brought up lightly, after all. It wasn't as if speaking of her would summon her, thank god that wasn't the case- but it always served to put him on edge. Maybe he had picked that much up from Akako, who knew of the raven black witch far better than he did, in spite of the fact that he had seen her in person any number of times now.

He would trade a great number of things to have not ever done so. It was not that her outer appearance was appalling- in fact, she was extremely beautiful. It was what laid underneath that, that chilled him to the bone.

"I'm referring to _that_ witch." Kaito said finally, dropping his voice to the lowest of whispers. "The raven black witch."

At the way Hakuba's breath caught in his throat, he knew that he had heard of her. There were always rumors floating around about that witch- he himself had been aware of them to some degree long before he had even met Aoko. The infamous raven black witch, a powerful witch who practiced black magic, who was said to have lived for thousands of years. The witch who stirred up tensions during the Great Witch's War, the witch who nearly laid waste to the witch's country once before.

That ominous black witch.

"Are you _certain_?" Hakuba asked, now fully realizing why speaking with him alone had been of the utmost importance. "If that's true, then this is a rather serious matter indeed."

"Isn't that what I said?" Kaito asked, quirking a brow. "While there's a small chance that someone might have come along and broken Aoko's curse, and took her away from the tower, I don't think that's the case. She left no notice for me, and one would think that she would have."

"That much is certainly true." Nodding his head, Hakuba considered his words. He half wanted to have nothing to do with this- to direct him to the nearest white witch, and wash his hands of the whole affair. He had heard rumors that the raven black witch seemed to be active again lately- there were whispers that she was the reason why nobody could seem to get into contact with anyone in Naniwa or Lamia alike. Getting involved with her would be dangerous- perhaps the most dangerous thing he would ever do in his life.

It wasn't his responsibility, a small voice in the back of his mind told him. Besides, you're the crown prince of this country, and your father has no heirs other than you. If you got mixed up with a witch, and suffered the consequences, be they death or a curse, the entire country would be thrown into chaos. Did it really make sense to risk all of that just to help two people that you had never met, one of whom he wasn't even certain was a citizen of his country?

No. Of course it was his responsibility. What kind of prince- what kind of _detective_ \- would make a vow to help those in need, and then back out of said vow just because the case lying in front of him might be a little bit dangerous? A coward with nothing to back up his own words, that was what kind.

"At the very least, I'll come with you to confirm that your story is true, Kuroba-san." Hakuba told him after a moment, a serious expression in his eyes. "Can you wait an hour for me to prepare for the journey ahead? You can remain here in the garden during that time, if you like."

"I can wait." Kaito told him, giving him a firm nod of his head, fighting the urge to let out a great breath of relief. He wasn't quite certain what to make of this Hakuba Saguru just yet- but he seemed like someone who might be of use to him yet. "I don't suppose your maid could arrange to get me a bite to eat, however? I've been running around without so much as a meal break since this morning, and now I'm suddenly starting to remember as much."

"Oh yes, of course." Hakuba said, quickly nodding his head, motioning towards where the maid still waited. Giving her instructions to bring their guest something hearty to eat, and to instruct the kitchen to prepare enough food to take on the road for at least a week's journey, Hakuba turned back to Kaito. "Well then, we will meet again in an hour, Kuroba-kun. Do you know how to ride a horse?"

"But of course." With a quick grin, Kaito resisted the urge to give the prince a rather showman like bow. "I'm quite skilled with animals."

Well- as long as they weren't of the _aquatic_ sort.  
_______________________________________________________________________

"See, I _told you_ that it would be a good idea to bring things for travel."

With a begrudging sigh, Shinichi was fully willing to admit that Ran had been completely right. Although he had been _certain_ that he could track down the wayward princess within the span of a day, that was only if the princess was alone. Whoever her companion was, they were good at losing people who were trailing them. Once they left Poirot, the trail had gone cold.

Well, if there was one thing they knew about Sonoko, at the very least, it was that she would likely refuse to camp outside unless she had no other choice. With that information in hand, they had been crisscrossing the countryside, checking out the various inns that dotted their path, to see if anyone matching Sonoko's description had been staying there. As of yet, they had turned up no leads- even splitting up to expand their search hadn't rendered many results.

They were now a full day behind Sonoko and her companion, whose name had been given to them as Sera Masumi, and it was making Shinichi anxious. Although he trusted Azusa's words, he also knew that she could be a bit naive in regards to people's characters- he didn't fully trust the guard that she had hired for her inn, who showed up every now and again. There was something about that Amuro Tooru fellow that struck him as a bit shady. There was still a chance that this Sera person might not have Sonoko's best interests in mind.

At the very least, word about the royal treasure being stolen hadn't yet seemed to begin to spread amongst the common folk, so at the very least, Sonoko wasn't carelessly talking about it in the open. If the public learned something like that, there would doubtlessly be something of a panic- and that was something that his father wanted to avoid at all costs.

"There's still time to do more searching, Ran." Shinichi told her, one hand still on the reins of his horse even as she neatly tied those of her own to a nearby tree. Once it had started to get dark, Ran had called off the search for the night, and had began to set up camp. "There's another inn an hour's ride from here."

"It will be fine, Shinichi." Ran told him. If she let him continue searching, it wouldn't go on for just one more hour- he'd stay up all night and wear out his poor horse, and himself to boot. "You heard Azusa-san, right? From the sound of it, Sonoko's in good company."

"Still, even if that's true, if someone realizes who she is, or they see how much gold she's carrying..." Shinichi trailed off, an impatient look on his face, before he heaved a long sigh, realizing that this wasn't an argument he was going to win. "Aren't you worried about her, Ran?"

"Of course I'm worried." Ran said simply, carefully removing the reins of Shinichi's horse from him, tying the animal to another nearby tree. "But Sonoko is more resourceful than you give her credit for. And if this Sera-san has covered their tracks so well that even you're having trouble picking up on them, mister great detective, then I think we can put a bit of faith in her ability to protect Sonoko."

Heaving an exasperated sigh, Shinichi simply rubbed the back of his head, watching as Ran dug in the bags that she had packed, pulling out blankets. It was still midsummer, and the night was still rather warm, so sleeping outside wouldn't be much of a problem. Sleeping outside together with _Ran_ , however- that was a bit embarrassing in it's own right, and frankly, he was trying hard not to think about it. Sharing a room at an inn together would probably be all the more embarrassing, though, really.

"Fine." Finally caving in, Shinichi helped Ran set up the blankets, finding a soft patch of grass on which to sleep. She had even packed him a few spare changes of clothes- no wonder it seemed that her horse was moving slightly slower than his own. He'd divide their saddlebags first thing tomorrow morning, he decided. "You're probably right. Besides, however good this woman is at covering her tracks, Sonoko is _Sonoko_ \- so there's probably traces of her somewhere."

"Well, that's true." Ran said with a simple nod of her head, unpacking some of the provisions that she had brought with her. Some bread, some cheese... she would have to get a bit more at the next town they entered, should this drag on for much longer. At the very least, she knew that Shinichi had brought a fair bit of coinage along with him, so they wouldn't be in want for much. "Well, running off after a handsome thief... that's just like Sonoko, really."

"Tell me about it." Shinichi said with a long sigh, shaking his head. "Well, given that this thief didn't threaten her the first time he crossed paths with her, at the very least, I don't think her life will be in danger if she somehow manages to find him, but..." Trailing off a bit, Shinichi narrowed his eyes. "A thief is a thief. All the more so if they're stealing something like that."

"He might have a reason for it." Ran stated, passing Shinichi half a loaf of bread. "If the rumors about Pandora are true, that is."

" _If_ they're true." Shinichi's voice held a skeptical tone to it, glancing over towards his childhood friend as he took the bread she offered. "A stone that can grant eternal life and holds such power to break any kind of curse? I find it hard to believe. Sure, it might very well hold some kind of mystical power, but the stories have probably just gotten exaggerated over the years."

"As usual, you're still saying things like that." Ran said with a slight sigh, before taking a bite out of her own bread. "I swear, if magic weren't commonplace, you wouldn't believe in _that_ either, Shinichi."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shinichi asked, glancing over towards her.

"I'm just saying it might benefit you to have a little more faith in such things." Ran told him with a slight pout. "Otherwise you might wind up cursed one of these days."

"I'm not fool enough to get on the bad side of a witch." Shinichi said shortly, tearing off a piece of bread and popping it into her mouth. He had done that once- in part by accident, really, and had spent two months trying to convince the one that he had angered to turn him back into his adult size. "At least not _again_."

"That was your _own_ fault, you know." Ran noted, quirking a brow. "You're lucky that Shiho-san forgave you in the end. But Conan-kun sure was cute." With a brief smile on her face, she quickly recalled the incident in question, before deciding to change the topic, in part due to the somewhat fearsome glare coming from her childhood friend. "Didn't you say that your father had some suspicions as to who the thief was, though?"

"Yeah, he does." Shinichi told her, nodding his head. "Have you ever heard of the Moonlight Magician?"

"Yeah." With a nod of her head, Ran frowned. "I've heard the stories before. But I thought the rumor was that he died somewhere."

"That was the rumor." Shinichi said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "By my old man seems to believe that the thief that stole Pandora has some relation to the Moonlight Magician, if it isn't the same one. Well, he would know better than anyone, really."

"Ah, that's right. Your father used to be one of the ones chasing after him, wasn't he?" Ran recalled. "Well, in the end, he never caught him though."

"He said he was going to chase an old lead of his." Shinichi told her, a slight frown on his face. "He didn't tell me much, but something about the country to the south, Ekoda."

"You mean the country that Hakuba-kun's father rules?" Ran asked. "But Shinichi, if Sonoko is looking for this thief, isn't there a chance that she might find her way to Ekoda sooner or later? If this Sera-san that she's with is talented enough to erase her tracks so well, then she might very well be good enough to dig up such information."

"...You've got a point." Shinichi admitted after a second, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "It might be wiser to head straight to Ekoda and begin asking around there, than to spend more time checking out inns here. At the very least, if she's heading there, there's a chance that we might be able to head them off."

"See?" Ran asked, beaming over at him. "If we hadn't stopped to make camp for the night, we wouldn't have had this conversation, and you wouldn't have had that idea."

"Well, that's true." Shinichi admitted, giving her a small smile. Carefully finishing off his bread, he glanced away from her, a small frown briefly gracing his features. For just a second, it almost felt like someone was-

Ah. Eyes falling on the raven that was watching the pair of them rather intently, Shinichi heaved a long sigh. As the bird seemingly took notice of him, it quickly flew away, disappearing into the night sky.

"Is something wrong, Shinichi?" Ran asked, peering over at him.

"Ah, I thought that someone was watching us, but it turned out to be just a bird." Sheepishly admitting that much, Shinichi shook his head. "It's pretty rare to see a raven in these parts, though. I wonder if it was someone's pet that escaped?"

"A raven?" Ran blinked, a slight frown crossing her face. Something about that bothered her, but she couldn't remember the reason why. Well, it probably wasn't that important. "I guess that could be it. Ah, but that reminds me. We should probably send your mother and Sonoko's parents a message when we get to the next town. If we head to the southeast, there's a town that has a aviary with messenger birds. It might not be a bad idea to purchase one."

"A messenger bird, huh?" Shinichi asked, a slight frown on his face. "I've never had much luck with them, so I'll let you handle that, Ran. Anyways," letting out a loud yawn, feeling somewhat tired now that he had taken some time to rest properly, he gave her a small smile. "...I'm going to go ahead and turn in for the night, I think."

"I got it. I'll stay up for a little bit longer." Ran told him. "Sleep well, Shinichi."

"Yeah." With a slight nod of his head, Shinichi decided that it was perhaps best not to say that he would do his best to- but with her beside him, he wasn't quite sure how well rested he would be come morning.


	4. The Mercenary is (Not) Free of Ulterior Motives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sera notices that someone is following them, Kaito and Hakuba arrive to find a ruined tower, and Shinichi and Ran meet a rather unusual young man.

"We're being followed."

The words were spoken with such a calm air, that Sonoko almost didn't react to them right away. When she did, opening up her mouth to let out a gasp, Sera shot her a look, quickly silencing such a reaction. Clamming up again, Sonoko fought the urge to look behind her, sensing that too, was something that was off limits. Instead, she dropped her voice, eyes darting towards the person that she had hired as her bodyguard and detective alike.

"How can you tell?" She asked, grip tightening on her horse's reins. She couldn't feel anything like that at all. "Ah, don't tell me it's someone from the thieves guild?"

"If it was someone from the thieves guild, I would have picked up on them much earlier." Sera said simply, continuing to stare straight ahead. She was having trouble picking up on their pursuer's exact intentions really. At the very least, they weren't giving off a malicious air- but that didn't necessarily mean they were a good person. "No, this is someone different. I think they only started following us around an hour ago, since we left the inn this morning."

Still, she got the impression that whoever was following them most likely wasn't on horseback, so if they picked up the pace, there was no doubt that they would lose them in good time. They must have caught up with them during the night, and had begun following them bright and early that morning. Perhaps they were still gauging the two of them, and that was they didn't approach them during the night.

"What should we do?" Sonoko whispered. "Try and outrun them?"

"No." Sera said simply, glancing over at her with a sly grin. "I say we stop and see who our uninvited guest is. Don't worry. If they mean you any harm, your highness, I'll see to it that they won't even be able to come close to you."

"Right. If you think that's for the best, Sera-san." Sonoko said simply, nodding her head. "I'll trust your intuition." That was part of the reason why she had hired her in the first place, after all. "Besides, I'm a bit curious about who it could be myself. I wonder if it's maybe Shinichi... no, that guy would have already stormed ahead of us by now and cut us off."

"Shinichi?" Sera blinked, before shaking her head. "No, nevermind. That doesn't matter right now." Pulling on her horse's reins, she ordered it to come to a stop, something which Sonoko echoed. Turning her horse around, she sensed their pursuer stop short in their tracks, apparently watching to see what they would do next.

"It's alright!" Sera called out, her voice echoing throughout the forest that lined either side of their path. "You can come out!"

For a few moments, there was only silence, the one who was following them clearly gauging their options. After some consideration, they emerged from the forest, green eyes the same shade as the leaves that lined the trees. Even with worn out clothes, Sera could tell right away that she was of noble upbringing, from the way that she walked. She had nothing more on her person other than one single bag, which looked as if it didn't contain all that much. It struck her interest right away- what was a noble girl doing out here on her own, and in such a condition? Had she perhaps been attacked by bandits, or something like that?

No, that wouldn't explain why she was following them.

Riding her horse up closer to the young noble girl, Sera looked down at her, quickly making a mental assessment of her. Somehow she got the feeling that even if this one were to be assaulted by bandits, she would probably be fine. That natural way that she had tensed up as she approached, ready to strike first if need be, indicated that she had probably been trained to fight at some point, and rather well at that.

"What is your name?" Sera asked. "Why are you following us? Have the times grown so hard that even noble girls need to play bandit?"

"How rude." The girl spoke up, her accent catching her attention right away, taking Sera by surprise. She recognized it right away- she had attempted to access the witch's country by way of Naniwa once before, in her quest for answers, but she had regrettably failed. She had attempted to challenge the mountain passes, but quickly came to understand why those who did never made it back, and had turned back before it was too late. "I'm not a bandit nor a thief."

"My apologies then." Sera said simply. "To make up for my rudeness, allow me to introduce myself first. I am Sera Masumi. As for the other one with me... well, that will have to wait until you introduce yourself, I'm afraid."

"Toyama Kazuha." Giving her name freely, Kazuha folded her arms in front of her chest, glancing between the two girls. The one before her was the most trouble- but she didn't think this would come to the two of them exchanging blows. "I'm Toyama Kazuha."

"Toyama...?" Sonoko spoke up, a questioning note to her voice. Although she had never met the one before her, she knew that name. It had been hammered into her as part of her lessons, instructing her on important persons and important family lines from the kingdoms that shared their same continent- even those that they barely had relations with. "As in _that_ Toyama family? The rulers of Naniwa?"

"The very same." Kazuha said simply, giving them a curt nod of her head. "I'm the current crown princess of Naniwa, in spite of my current state."

"And what is the crown princess of Naniwa doing all the way out here, in such a state?" Sera asked, dismounting from her horse. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could make out Sonoko doing the same, leading her own over towards them, a curious expression on her face. "Not to mention without a single knight in sight. I know your country has some odd traditions, but I doubt that they would let their heir run around a distant land without so much as a single person guarding her."

"It's exactly because they can't do that, that I'm out here now." Kazuha told them frankly, heaving a long sigh. "I'm not much of one fer beatin' around the bush, so let me cut straight ta the point. I hear that the royal treasure of this country got stolen, an' the two of ya are searchin' fer it right now. I want ya ta let me in on that."

"Where did you-?" Sonoko began, before Sera cut her off, a placid smile crossing her face.

"And why would that be, your highness?" Sera asked. Other than her name, she had no proof that she was who she claimed she was. It was true that the Toyama family ruled Naniwa, and their crown princess went by the name of Kazuha, but it wasn't exactly like that was uncommon knowledge. As isolated as Naniwa was, it wasn't entirely cut off from the rest of the world. Anyone could claim they were someone that nobody had seen, after all.

"Because I need it." Kazuha confessed. "It might be the only way ta save my country as it is now."

"Now that you mention it, I _did_ hear that there were some strange rumors coming out of Naniwa lately." Sera mused aloud, carefully studying her. "Have conditions really gotten so bad there that their princess would be wandering around like this all by herself? I spent a bit of time in Naniwa myself, actually, and from what I can recall, the crown princess is supposed to have a fairly talented knight by her side at all times. And yet I don't seem to see him anywhere."

"Well, not at _all_ times." Kazuha answered with a long sigh, placing her hands on her hips. "Sometimes Heiji'll just wander off on his own, an' it's a serious pain tryin' ta find him when he does that. But it's true that he's not with me right now, but not out of his own choice, nor mine. We were separated."

"But ta answer yer question, the situation in Naniwa is rather serious right now." Kazuha continued on- she'd touch on the matter of her missing knight a little bit later. Maybe there was even a chance that one of the two had run into him already. Someone like Heiji would doubtlessly stick out in people's memory. She didn't doubt that he was looking for her just as much as she was looking for him. "Right now, the entire country is underneath a curse, an' is truly sealed off from the rest of the world. Heiji an' I barely escaped from there as it was."

"I see. So you heard the rumors about Pandora, and decided that you might be able to use it to break the curse on your country." Sera said simply. The fact that she knew the name of the princess' personal knight was something in her favor- that wasn't something that had spread quite as far as the name of the princess herself. From what she had heard of him while staying in the capital city, he was a rather interesting character. "And furthermore, you heard from _somewhere_ that the jewel in question had been stolen, and that the two of us were looking for it."

In other words, she must have spoken with Amuro at some point. At the current moment, he was probably the only one outside of those in the royal palace who had that information. Well, there was also the matter of this Shinichi that Sonoko had mentioned, but she got the impression that had she gleaned such a thing from him, he would have come along with her.

"That's right." Kazuha said, nodding her head. "I don't want ta take yer country's royal treasure forever," and this, she directed towards Sonoko, turning to look at her, "...but right now, I can't think of any other way to break the curse that my country is under. I don't have that kind of magical power on my own."

"Eh? But I thought there was witch blood in the Toyama royal family." Sonoko stated, blinking a little. "At the very least, that's what I was taught by my tutors."

"Really?" Sera blinked, glancing back over towards Sonoko. "I always heard it was dragon blood myself."

"Aren't we gettin' a little bit off topic here?" Kazuha asked, quirking a brow. "It's true that there's stuff like that in my family line, but that was over a thousand years ago. There's no way that it would be strong enough to actually _mean_ anythin' much at this point. Regardless," switching back to the topic at hand, she glanced between the both of them. "...it remains true that I require assistance in this matter."

"What do you think, Sonoko-chan? Should we accept Kazuha-chan's offer here?" Sera asked. She was the one who had set out to look for Pandora in the first place, so it was best that she deferred judgement to her in this case. While she still harbored some suspicions about Kazuha, she was more or less inclined to believe her story- if she was going to trick them, something a bit less outlandish would make sense.

Still, to think that an entire country could have been placed underneath a curse. Even if it was the country that shared a boundary with the witch's country, it wasn't like the two countries necessarily had a bad relationship with one another, from what she understood. Rather, they were pretty close. There was no reason that she could think of that the witches of Lamia would suddenly go so far as to curse the entire country without warning. The source of it had to be something else, then.

And she got a feeling as to exactly what that _something else_ might be. If that was the case, it might actually be a good thing to accept this girl's offer- if _that_ witch was involved, there was a chance that she could use her to gain more information about her brother. On the other hand, if that witch was really involved, then involving herself with Naniwa's princess might put the one that she had been hired to guard at risk- she was confident that she could protect herself from that witch's familiars, but she wasn't certain about protecting them both.

Not that it seemed that Kazuha really needed much protecting to begin with.

"I don't see any reason not to accept it." Sonoko stated simply, shaking her head. "You know, it's like what they say. The more the merrier, right? Besides, I feel kind of bad about Kazuha-san's predicament. If our royal treasure can really be used to free her kingdom and it's people of it's curse, then I would be more than happy to temporarily lend it to her once we manage to find it."

Well, provided it was still safe and sound. As charming as he was, she had no idea what the thief who had taken it away needed it for. Perhaps he had a curse of his own that he needed to break?

"Well, you heard the girl." Sera said, nodding her head, turning back to face Kazuha with a broad smile, extending her hand to her. "Welcome to the party, Kazuha-san."

"Thank ya very much!" Seeming to brighten up at this, Kazuha eagerly took Sera's hand, giving it a rather firm shake. That was a pretty impressive grip she had, Sera couldn't help but note- this one could probably more than handle herself if need be- and probably already had been, all this time. Speaking of which though...

"You mentioned earlier that your knight was with you, didn't you?" Sera asked. "What happened to him? You mentioned that the two of you were separated."

"Yes, that's right." Withdrawing her hand, Kazuha's brows furrowed together, for a moment, all too vividly recalling the last time that she had seen him. Those beasts that had been set upon them... no, she couldn't lose heart. "We were ambushed by the familiars of that witch, an' got separated while we were tryin' ta deal with them. We did make a promise ta meet up somewhere before we split ways, but no matter how long I waited fer him, he never showed up. I figured that he must have gotten a good ways off the path while fightin' them, an' couldn't find his way back, so I set out lookin' fer him."

"Wait, doesn't that sound really bad?" Sonoko asked, a look of worry crossing her face. "Are you still being pursued by those familiars even now, Kazuha-chan?"

"No." Kazuha said, shaking her head. "I seem ta have thrown them off my trail fer the time bein'. Well, I probably have Heiji ta think fer that, but I can only hope that that idiot didn't go an' get himself hurt while doin' that. He's pretty skilled, but he can be pretty reckless as well."

Biting back a comment that something much worse could have happened to him other than just simply getting hurt, Sera placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Well, it wasn't like it was impossible that he might have survived- even if they were talking about that witch's familiars, it wasn't like it was _impossible_ to escape from them. "Well, I'm sure that he's probably looking for you just the same. You said his name was Heiji earlier, right? We'll be sure to keep eyes and ears out alike for any word of him as well. I'm sure you're worried."

"So I take it ya probably haven't run into him already then, huh?" Kazuha asked, a slight frown crossing her features, before she forced a smile onto them, nodding her head. "I thank ya fer that, though. He's his mother's son, so he's pretty hardy all things considered, but he can also be pretty hot tempered, so I'm bit worried about him travelin' around by himself in a foreign land."

"Oh?" Sonoko couldn't help but find a grin working it's way onto her face, as she leaned in a bit closer to her fellow princess. "The princess is worried about her knight? It sounds like the two of you are rather close. Is there something going on there, Kazuha-san~?"

"Ah, no, it's not like that!" Kazuha was quick to protest, shaking her head. The faint red tint to her cheeks told them everything that they needed to know, however. "It's just that the two of us have been together ever since we were young children, that's all. In the first place, he was brought ta the royal palace ta be trained as my knight ta begin with, so we've been stuck together ever since then. Childhood friends, ya could say."

"Well, such discussions can be saved for later." Sera said, frowning a little as she glanced between their two horses. Kazuha probably didn't have one of her own, and while she had been able to track them well enough from town even on foot, it might be a bit difficult for even one with lineage such as hers to keep up with them after awhile. "Currently, we're headed to Ekoda to ask some questions about the Moonlight Magician, the one that we believe is responsible for stealing Pandora."

"Sonoko, your horse is a bit bigger than mine, so why don't you let Kazuha-san ride along with you?" Sera asked, glancing back at her own horse. She had picked him out more for speed than anything else, so bearing the weight of two people for an extended period of time probably wasn't a good idea. Sonoko's, on the other hand, while slower, also seemed considerably stronger. Probably also worked to pull the royal carriage when she wasn't riding him, from the looks of it.

Well, they could probably buy a nice horse for her once they got into the next town. Given the amount of gold that Sonoko had decided to bring with her, there probably shouldn't be any problems with that. She'd like to hire a messenger bird to send word on to her middle brother, as well. There was a chance that he might have heard something about their older brother himself during the time since she last contacted him.

"Yeah, I don't mind." Sonoko said, nodding her head. "Well, provided that Kazuha-chan herself is fine with it though."

"I don't have a problem with it." Kazuha admitted, shaking her head. "I just hope it's not too much trouble. I'm afraid that Heiji an' I had ta sell our horses once we got out of the country."

"No, it's fine, it's fine." Sonoko said, carefully mounting her horse, glancing down expectantly at her fellow princess. "Ran and I ride together on him all the time when she accompanies me into town."

"Then, I'll humbly take ya up on that offer." Kazuha said, nodding her head, carefully mounting the horse behind Sonoko, placing herself just behind her saddle. "Thank ya, the both of ya."

"Think nothing of it." Sera said simply, smiling at her broadly as she mounted her own horse, taking it's reins in her hands. After all, the real reason behind why she had decided to accept Kazuha as part of their little party was for her own selfish reason- nothing that she needed to be thanked for.

Well, not that either of them needed to know that.  
_______________________________________________________________________

"And off she goes!"

With a bright smile on her face, Ran released the messenger bird that she had bought at the marketplace, watching as it soared off into the bright blue sky, heading towards the royal palace. It would probably arrive there before the day was over, and she would probably get a reply to her message either tonight or early tomorrow morning, depending on how long it took for them to discuss the matter back home. Stringing the homing whistle around her neck, and brushing back her hair, she turned on her heel to face Shinichi.

"Did you finish shopping for supplies?" She asked, glancing at the rather heavy looking traveler's bag that now hung from Shinichi's shoulder. Watching as he staggered a little underneath the weight, he heaved a sigh, sparing him a bit of mercy and taking it from him, resting the strap around her own shoulder with ease. "I take that as a yes then. Well, hopefully we shouldn't be on the road too long. Once we get to Ekoda, we can ask Hakuba-kun for his help, right?"

"Provided that we don't catch up to Sonoko first." Shinichi said, rubbing his shoulder, somewhat grateful to have his burden lifted from him. He was pretty confident in his leg strength, but his arm strength was a different matter entirely. Perhaps he should have taken up the sword after all.

"That's true." Nodding her head, Ran paused to thank the shopkeeper once more, before picking up the cage that he had given her. Although the aviary had many wonderful types of bird, in the end, she had chosen a simple pigeon. She didn't want to waste Shinichi's gold on something that was more expensive than what they needed, after all. For a situation that wasn't urgent, a pigeon would do just fine. "Then, shall we go?"

"Yeah. While we waste time here, I'm pretty sure Sonoko has already gotten far ahead of us." Shinichi remarked. "She always has been pretty good at riding horses."

"Although she's never ridden one for this long before." Ran remarked, turning to head back in the direction of the stable where they had left their horses. The village that they had stopped in was one that she was rather familiar with- it wasn't too far from the training ground of the royal guard, after all. Ever since her father had gotten a job there thanks to Sonoko's influence, she often came through this way. "Usually when she's traveling long distances like this, she takes the carriage. It's safer, too."

"Well, for the most part." Shinichi said, sparing her a glance. Sure, the people riding inside of the carriage might be more protected from sudden assaults, but it made a bigger and more attractive target. Reaching into his pocket and paying the stable hand three bronze coins for their troubles, Shinichi gathered his horse's reins, leading it out. "Give that here."

"Ah, sure." Passing the bag towards Shinichi, Ran watched as he carefully attached it to his saddle, a small smile on her face as he did so. Pausing to thank the stable hand, Ran carefully took her own horse by it's reins, carefully leading it out of the stable, quickly mounting it. "From here, I think the fastest way to get to Ekoda is through the forest path."

"No, the countryside path is actually faster." Shinichi told her, mounting his horse, pausing to adjust the saddlebag one more time. "Around this time of year, there's always bandits lining the forest path. I have great faith in your strength, Ran, but I'd rather not be slowed down by a bandit's sudden ambush."

"You have a point there." Ran admitted. "It might be easier for the messenger pigeon to find us on a clearer road as well."

"Right." Nodding his head, Shinichi paused, glancing back down towards the stable hand. It wouldn't hurt to ask. "Pardon me for asking, but has there been anyone strange passing through this village today?"

"Strange?" The stable hand blinked, tilting his head in thought. "No one in particular."

"I see. Thanks for your time." Turning back towards Ran, he guided his horse into a slow trot. "Let's head on then, Ran. There's still plenty of daylight left for us to burn."  
_______________________________________________________________

Even before they entered the forest, they realized that something was wrong. The tall tower that usually loomed over the trees, half concealed in fog, was clearly visible to them from the outside. The fog that usually obscured the top of the tower from sight, that was always there, no matter what the season, no matter the time of day or even the weather, was gone. It hadn't been like that when Kaito had seen it not even a day ago- a day ago, the fog was very much there still.

What's more, though it still towered above the trees, the top of the tower had all but crumbled. As if whatever was keeping it standing strong all these years had finally given out on it, the room where Aoko had lived her life out in was no more, having crashed down onto the forest floor, bringing a good chunk of the tower itself with it. Not waiting for Hakuba nor caring if the prince was behind him, Kaito ordered his horse to go faster, dashing through the forest, only coming to a halt when he finally arrived at the clearing in which the tower was located.

Even though he knew she wasn't there, he nevertheless leapt off his horse so quickly that he nearly stumbled, scrambling towards the remain of the tower room, her name flying from his lips. Digging into the wreckage, his frenzied state only ceased when he realized that nothing else had changed from when he had last been here- wherever she was Aoko was still no longer in the tower itself. Letting out a long breath, Kaito slumped backwards some, feeling the frantic pounding of his heart slowly die down as this sunk into him, sending a wave of calm over him.

If it was the witch's magic keeping the tower standing strong for all these years, then it was obvious that without the one long held prisoner there, there was no longer any need to maintain such a spell. Time had finally caught up with what had long escaped it, leaving it to collapse in on itself. It was good fortune in and of itself that it hadn't begun to do so as he climbed it yesterday- that would have put a very quick end to his ambitions.

"Kuroba-kun." Glancing up at the sound of Hakuba's voice, Kaito slowly rose to his feet, brushing off his dusty hands. "I take it she wasn't in there."

"Thankfully it does not seem that way, no." Kaito told him, shaking his head. "But are you starting to understand what I have told you is the truth now, Hakuba?" He asked, turning his head to look up towards the ruined tower. "What's left in the wreckage should be convincing enough."

"Indeed." Hakuba noted, dismounting his horse and joining him by the remains of what surely was the top of the tower. Within the rubble he could make out signs of life- bedposts from a grand bed, what appeared to be a trunk for clothing, a torn dress whose vivid blue color stuck out amongst the gray stone. If that weren't evidence enough, the desperate way that Kaito had raced off, charging his horse recklessly through the forest, _was_. "At the very least, I can tell that there are signs that someone was in fact living here."

Kneeling down in front of the rubble, Hakuba picked up the remains of a crumbled stone, watching as it all but turned to dust in his hand. Coughing slightly, he rose to his feet, surveying the scene before him. Indeed, he was now more than willing to believe Kaito's story- for if what he had told him was true, it would explain any number of things. The mysterious fog that always surrounded the tower, obscuring the top from sight. The way it stood strong and tall even as the rest of the ruins in the forest slowly crumbled more and more as time passed. If a witch's magic was involved, then...

It didn't quite explain how it was that Kuroba Kaito had managed to ascend the tower, and find the girl hidden inside, cursed by a powerful spell. Given that many had tried and all had failed, he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there was something special about this otherwise ordinary seeming commoner, that had allowed him to succeed where others had not.

"Have you asked around in the nearby village about the girl?" Hakuba asked, watching as Kaito slowly nodded his head. "I take it that nobody has seen her, then."

"Not a soul." Kaito told him simply, shaking his head. It had been one of the first things he had done after descending the tower. Given that he'd been born and raised in that village, it hadn't been too hard to get people talking, asking them if they had seen the somewhat bushy haired young girl, perhaps in the company of a pretty blonde woman. "I asked just about everyone I could find, but nobody had noticed anyone that fit the description of Aoko. For that matter, the only stranger that had passed through our village recently was just a dark skinned young man."

"When was this?" Hakuba asked, a slight frown crossing his face. "When dealing with a case like this, even the smallest of details can be helpful, Kuroba-kun. Did anyone mention anything about this young man?"

"Over a week ago, I believe. As for details, there wasn't much." Kaito said, shaking his head. "Only that he spoke with a strange accent, and kept asking about a girl. Ah, a different girl than the one I'm looking for, of course." He added quickly. He'd pressed about that detail too when he'd heard as much, but the brunette girl that the villagers had described him as seeking didn't sound really anything like Aoko.

"That _does_ bother me a little, though." Frowning, Hakuba put a hand to his chin, his eyes narrowing in thought. He had heard rumors that the raven black witch used shapeshifters as her familiars, though he'd never heard that it had been confirmed to be true. "Was there anything else that you did before you came to seek me out? Before I begin my investigation, it would be good if I knew what ground you had already covered yourself, Kuroba-kun."

Of course, he would want to question the villagers himself as well. Not just about the girl, but also about the collapsing tower- there was no way that someone hadn't noticed something like that occur.

"After speaking with the villagers, I went straight away to consult with the witch who lives on the outskirts of the forest." Kaito told him, turning his head in the direction of Akako's house. "It was through her divination that I ended up seeking you out in the first place, Hakuba."

"There's a witch living in this village?" Hakuba asked, blinking in surprise. This too, troubled him. After all, there was a formal process that witches had to go through in order to set up a home here, and he was quite certain that nobody had approached his father in recent years with such a request, not for this area. If there really was a witch living in the distant outskirts of the country without permission, then that was likely an issue that he needed to bring up with his father. "I hadn't heard of such a thing before. I don't believe that we've received any such word of that at the place- when did this witch settle down here?"

"Does it really matter?" Kaito blinked, a frown crossing his face. Well, he did know that the further you headed into Ekoda, the less and less people liked witches- even if it had taken place over a thousand years ago, the scars from the Great Witch's War still were visible here and there. It had been in this country, after all, that the war had first broke out- it was no wonder that such a foul impression of witches had lingered for generations within. "Akako's not that bad, really."

"She's likely living here without permission." Hakuba noted. "I would very much like to meet this witch of yours, Kuroba-kun."

"I'm not certain that would be a good idea." Kaito told him, a slightly awkward laugh escaping from him. As amusing as it would be to see the prince lose his composure, falling for Akako's charms, at the same time, he'd rather not deal with that. Besides, it didn't really sound like a great idea to introduce the prince of his nation to a which who regularly seduced the village men with her charms to get whatever it was that she wanted out of them.

Which granted, often wasn't that much. Preferred treatment at the monthly festival of the full moon so that she could ensure that she could _always_ dance with the most strapping young man, whatever she needed at the market for free, someone to assist around her home when she needed more hands come winter, or come cleaning season- for all that she used her charm freely, she didn't really seem to use it all that _deviously_.

Although, now that he thought about the festival of the full moon, the villagers had mentioned that Akako hadn't been in attendance that month. That was rather rare in and of itself- the last time that she hadn't, it was when she was out of town on business, attending a witch's council. Come to think of it, she was acting a bit odd the last time he saw her- what had that been about?

"Besides, we didn't come out all this way to speak of Akako. We came out all this way to speak of _Aoko_." Kaito reminded him, a cross expression on his face. "As we speak, who knows what the far more worrisome witch is doing to her. The less time we spend delaying, and the more time we spend searching, the better off we'll be."

Hesitating for only a moment, Hakuba finally let out a long sigh. He did have a point- if the witch had been living here for all this time without causing even so much as a stir amongst the villagers, then she could probably be left alone. Perhaps she simply wasn't familiar with the law of the land- if she was young enough, such a thing was possible. "Very well. I'll begin investigating the are at once. After which, we'll return to your village, and ask some questions of the villagers anew."

Where they would go from there would depend on what, if anything, he could learn about this Nakamori Aoko girl. Hopefully there would be at least one thread left behind for him to follow- when it came to witches, especially _that_ one, nothing was certain, and matters were almost always far more complicated than they first appeared to be on the surface.

He may have very well mixed himself up in a rather tall order of a case. Perhaps it would be wise to send message to Kudo Shinichi of Beika Kingdom, to seek his assistance with this matter- the help of a fellow detective as clever as him would surely be useful in this instance.

That was, of course, provided that he didn't have his hands full already with matters pertaining to the theft of Beika Kingdom's royal treasure. If he knew his fellow detective, there was no way he wasn't sticking his nose into that case.  
__________________________________________________________________

"Is there somethin' that this girl here did that offended ya, _huh_?"

Were it not for the fact that someone else beat her to the punch, Ran would have doubtlessly stepped into the matter herself. There was no way she could sit still as a bunch of customers who had clearly had far too much to drink began to pester the waitress who had the grave misfortune to be serving them. She was just about to bolt to her feet and give them a piece of her mind, before someone else stepped in, slamming his hand down on the table the men were sitting at.

"Who are you?" Rising to his feet, one of the customers that had been harassing the poor girl enough rose to his feet, cracking his knuckles together. "Are you with her or something? Honestly, I can't believe the only inn in this godforsaken town hires people with _witch's rings_."

Maybe she needed to step in anyways.

"He'll be fine, Ran." Shinichi noted, glancing over towards the dark skinned young man who didn't look the slightest bit intimidated by the much taller men that now seemed intent on surrounding him. Frankly, he couldn't help but find the stranger's accent rather interesting- he'd only had a chance to hear it once for himself, but he was pretty certain that was a Naniwan accent. "Judging from the hilt of his sword, he's a proper knight. I doubt he'll lose to a bunch of drunken fools."

"I don't know her, _idiot_." The young man spoke up again. "But there's no way that anyone in their right mind can sit still an' let ya harass some poor girl who's just tryin' ta do her job. Ya want ta take this outside, ya bastards? I'll take every last one of ya on."

"I'm not harassing some _poor girl_ , I'm taking issue with the fact that I'm being served by a _witch's daughter_." The man who spoke before seemed intent on clarifying, leaning in closer to him- before he leaned back, as if unable to keep that proximity up for very long, for a moment seeming almost ill at ease before he recovered himself. "What if she did something weird to our drinks?"

"If she was doin' weird things ta drinks, she wouldn't have been hired in the first place, _idiot_." With narrowed eyes, the young man folded his arms in front of his chest, jerking his head towards the door. "Like I said before. Ya wanna take this outside? It's perfect timin' really. I was just lookin' fer someone ta take some stress out on. Got a lot of that these days, ya see."

"Fine by me." The man said. "But don't think you're going to get off easy, kid. I'll teach you not to butt into an adult's business."

"Hey, I really think we should stop them, Shinichi." Ran spoke up, slowly rising to her feet as she watched the shorter young man be escorted out of the inn by the trio of taller, older men. "Knight or no, it's not easy to fight against three opponents like that. Even if they are drunk."

"It'll probably be alright." Shinichi reassured her again, rising to his feet anyways, heading over to go check on the girl that they had been bothering. Gaze almost instinctively flicking towards her eyes, he couldn't help but take note of the fact that she did, in fact, have a witch's ring around them, the deep green color of her eyes fading to a brighter green towards the pupil. "Are you alright, miss?"

"Ah, yes." Slowly nodding her head, the waitress managed to give him a small smile. "I'm alright. More importantly, that young man..."

"What about me?" Startling all three of them, Shinichi looked up towards the dark skinned young man who had rejoined them, much faster than he had expected. Sure, he wasn't under the impression that he would lose, but he didn't expect it all end that _quickly_. From the looks of it, he hadn't even drawn his sword. "Ya aren't thinkin' about botherin' this Neechan yerself either, are ya?"

"No, no. I was only just making sure she was alright." Quickly shaking his head, Shinichi took a small step back, trying to cool the anger he could almost feel radiating off of the young man. He was just slightly taller than him, with dark hair and blue eyes- there was a witch's ring in them as well, he couldn't help but note, suddenly understanding why the men had so naturally assumed that he might have had something to do with the waitress.

Male offspring of witches, when they decided to couple with humans, were pretty rare- though he did know one himself. Combined with the Naniwan accent, he couldn't help but be a little interested in this stranger. Of all countries, it made the most sense for Naniwa to have a witch's child amongst the ranks of it's knights, but what was one doing all the way out here?

"Hmm." With a slight frown, the young man shrugged his shoulders, seeming to accept this easily enough. "Well, that's fine. Ah, ya don't have ta worry about those guys, Neechan. I knocked them out pretty well, so they'll probably be asleep fer some time. If ya contact yer village's guard, they should be able ta drag 'em off without any problem."

"Ah, yes!" With a quick nod of her head, the waitress gave them a bow, before scampering off to do just that.

"Yer name?" The young man asked, turning back to look towards Shinichi, before taking notice of Ran, eyes darting briefly over towards her. He smelled faintly of herbs, Shinichi couldn't help but notice, wondering where the scent was coming from. "An' that Neechan's too, since I take it she's with ya."

"Kudo Shinichi." Shinichi introduced himself, offering him his hand- which quickly proved to be a mistake, as he winced a little when the young man took it. Quickly realizing that his grip was too strong for him, he seemed to ease it up. There were bandages wrapped around his hands, which he couldn't help but find a bit odd. "This over here is my childhood friend, Mouri Ran."

"Heeh, childhood friends, huh?" With a broad grin exposing unusually large canines, the young man took his hand back, folding them in front of his chest again. "Sure ya aren't a runaway noble lord elopin' with his bodyguard?"

"Of course not!" Shinichi sputtered, cheeks turning crimson, watching as the young man's face lit up with amusement at his reaction. Still, he couldn't help but notice the easy way he'd determined that not only he was of noble origins and Ran of decidedly less- but the fact that he'd quickly pegged Ran as a bodyguard, rather than a servant or a maid as most would. "Besides, don't you know it's rude to ask for someone's name and then fail to introduce yourself?"

"Ah, that's right." Blinking a little, half realizing that he had forgotten, the young man rubbed the back of his head, letting out a small laugh. "Sorry, sorry."

"I'm Hattori Heiji. It's nice ta meet ya, Kudo."


	5. The Knight With the Witch's Ring is Searching for Some(thing)one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Shinichi and Ran find the number of their party members going up by one, Kaito and Hakuba uncover what might very well be their first clue.

"You're looking for your childhood friend?"

"Well, among other things, but that's the basic gist of it, yeah." Giving the pair sitting across from him a nod, the one who had introduced himself as Hattori Heiji flashed them a rather broad grin. "Ya haven't seen her, have ya? A certain strong willed, ponytail wearin' idiot who goes by the name of Toyama Kazuha."

"Toyama- you surely don't mean _that_ Toyama?" Shinichi asked, eyes narrowing as he leaned across the table, gaze frantically darting around the inn. Although they had drawn quite a bit of attention to themselves thanks to that earlier incident, it didn't seem as if anyone was paying the three of them any mind now. He could only hope that it _stayed_ that way.

" _That_ Toyama?" Ran blinked, glancing towards Shinichi with a slight frown. "Do you know who he's talking about, Shinichi?"

"No, well, it's just that when you mention Toyama, there's only one Toyama family from Naniwa that comes to mind." Shinichi said, glancing back at her, before turning back to look towards Heiji. "You're surely not telling me that this childhood friend of yours that you're searching for is _the princess of your country_?"

"That's right." Heiji told them simply, nodding his head. For all that Shinichi seemed to be on the verge of losing his, he remained rather calm. Sure, he was worried about her, but if there was one thing he knew about Kazuha, it was that she wouldn't lose to any normal person. She was a tough one, after all. "Rather, I'm surprised that ya know the name, Kudo. Yer no ordinary noble boy, are ya? I kind of got that feelin' from ya the first time I laid eyes on ya, but it would seem that I was right after all."

Well given what he had already heard of him, he didn't doubt that was the case.

"So you're telling me that the princess of Naniwa is currently _missing_?" Shinichi asked, almost hissing the last part through his teeth. If something like that was the case, then it would be a huge deal- especially if it had happened on foreign soil. It could very well turn into an international incident if handed carelessly. And while her overly casual knight didn't give off that impression at all, he at least, couldn't help but be worried about this turn of events. "Aren't you supposed to be her knight? How could you have gotten separated from her that easily?"

"Who said we got separated from one another _easily_?" Heiji shot back, narrowing his eyes, the witch's ring in them briefly seeming to expand in correspondence to his anger. "We were attacked. I had no choice but ta draw the enemy away from Kazuha, an' because of that, the two of us were separated. I had ta spend a month recoverin' from some of the wounds that I had taken, an' wasn't able ta meet her at the arranged location."

"Well, it _is_ Kazuha we're talkin' about here, so she's probably fine. That idiot's tough, if nothin' else." Heiji remarked, idly pulling out the drumstick bone that he had been chewing on for awhile now, trying to get every last scrap of meat off of it. The waitress had told him that he could have whatever he wanted on the house for helping her, and he wasn't about to pass that chance up- it had been awhile since he'd had a good meal like this!

"For a knight, you sure speak about your princess casually." Ran couldn't help but observe. Still, she got the feeling that she understood where he was coming from. She wasn't all that formal with Sonoko either, even though she was also royalty. Among some of the nobles in the palace, this had caused her to earn herself a reputation for being rude, but she didn't mind. It was Sonoko herself who had told her to call her that way, after all. "Are the two of you really childhood friends, Hattori-kun?"

"Yeah." Nodding his head and flashing her another broad grin, Heiji leaned his chair a bit back. "When I was six years old, I was brought ta the Naniwan capital ta train as her knight, an' the two of us have been together ever since. I don't know how it works in yer country, but the princess an' her knight are supposed ta forge a pretty close bond between each other in ours. That's why we're usually around the same age. Well, she can be a real handful, that princess. I think ya'd like her though, Neechan."

"Our princess doesn't have a personal knight." Ran told him, shaking her head. "She has a guard squadron of her own, that mostly consists of the same members. Well, they're all adults, though." If anything, Sonoko would probably be jealous of this Kazuha's set up- she could almost hear her complaining about it in the back of her mind.

"Hm, is that so?" Heiji blinked, frowning a little. "I heard that other countries had some pretty different traditions from us, but I guess that's true."

"Can we focus a bit more on the topic at hand?" Shinichi asked, pinching the bridge of his nose, feeling a slight headache starting to develop. "Who was it that attacked you in the first place? Bandits? Kidnappers? What was the princess of Naniwa and her knight doing this far away from home to begin with? From what I understand, people from your country, especially the royals, don't freely travel to other countries."

"That's on a need ta know basis." Heiji said simply, casting a rather sharp eye over towards Shinichi. "So it kinda depends on if ya need ta know, Kudo. There's some pretty bad stuff happenin' back in Naniwa right now, let's just leave it at that fer the moment. So bad that the two of us had ta flee the country in order ta find a way ta do somethin' about it."

"Well, in the process, the two of us got separated, like I just said earlier. I've been lookin' fer her ever since I woke up, around a week ago. Spent most of the past month unconscious, actually." With a slight shrug of his shoulders, Heiji glanced between the two of them. "I'm guessin' she's probably been lookin' fer me just the same. Are ya two sure that ya haven't run into anyone like that? She's just a little bit taller than Neechan over there, and she's always wearin' a ribbon in her hair."

"I haven't seen her." Ran told him, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Hattori-kun. We've actually been busy searching for someone ourselves."

"Oh?" Raising his brows, Heiji leaned forward, leaning his chin into one of his hands. "Don't tell me that the two of ya managed ta lose a princess as well?" It was clearly meant as a joke, but given the uncertain look that the pair shared, he could only blink, lifting up his head a bit, glancing between them. "...Don't tell me that ya actually did?"

"We didn't so much lose her, as much as she decided to run away on her own." Shinichi muttered, dropping his voice and giving Heiji a warning look to do the very same. It was like this guy's default setting was _loud_ or something. "Well, at the very least, we think she's safe in the care of a bodyguard that she hired, but the faster we find her and drag her home, the better."

"An' ta think you were just lecturin' me about losin' my own." Heiji couldn't help but quip. "Well, what does she look like, this princess of yers? I've been wanderin' here an' there, I might have already run into her somewhere."

"We didn't _lose_ her, she ran away." Shinichi clarified, shooting him something of a sour look, one that proved entirely ineffective against the knight's broad grin. He had heard rumors that the personal knight of the Naniwan princess was quite the character, but it appeared that the rumors were more than just hearsay. "She has rather light brown hair, cut off at her shoulders, and a rather large forehead. Well, she's quite something, so there's no way you could miss Sonoko if you had actually met her already."

Folding his arms in front of his chest, leaning back in his chair in thought, Heiji dwelt on the information that he had been given for a moment, before shaking his head. "Nah, can't say that I've run into anyone like that. Sorry that I can't be of more help ta ya, Kudo, Neechan."

"It's nothing that you have to apologize for, Hattori-kun." Ran said quickly, shaking her head. "After all, we're just sorry that we can't help you out with your search either. I hope you find the person you're looking for soon."

"You an' me both, Neechan." Heiji told her, casting a glance her way. "Why did yer princess wander off though anyways? She at that age where she gets a bit of wanderlust in her system or somethin'?"

"If that was all it was, there wouldn't be that much of a problem." Shinichi muttered, heaving a long sigh. "But just like your case, Hattori-san," although given how casually the knight had decided to address him, he was considering ditching all formalities himself, "...why she ran away is also on a need to know basis."

"Oh, is that so?" Heiji asked, quirking a brow, leaning closer to the table. It was about time to start casting out his net, he thought. He sure hadn't seen anything about a princess, but he got the feeling he was more or less on the right track. "It doesn't have anythin' ta do with the rumors that I've heard, does it? I hear ya got somethin' important stolen from yer palace recently, by some kinda flamboyant thief or somethin' along those lines."

"Where did you hear about a thing like that?" Shinichi asked, his eyes narrowing. As far as he knew, that rumor hadn't spread that far just yet- if it had, it would have been the only thing that he would have heard on people's lips. Something like that was an endless source of gossip, and yet he'd barely heard a word about it since they had left the royal palace. As expected, his father was doing an excellent job in covering the matter up. "There's no such rumors, not out here at least."

"Now, now, don't give me that suspicious look." Heiji told him, waving a hand, his broad grin not once wavering from his face. "Yer not thinkin' I'm some kinda bad guy, are ya? Well, yer right about it not bein' rumors that I heard, but it's easier ta talk about it that way. Consider my source of information a gift that I got from my mother."

"Your mother's a witch, right?" Ran asked, tilting her head slightly. As Heiji's gaze shifted towards her, she gave him a soft smile, letting him know that there was no malevolence meant in her question- she didn't know about his country, but out here, there was still a fair amount of prejudice against witches- especially once you left the royal city and it's near surroundings. "We have one in the royal palace too, you know. A witch's child. He's working as the apprentice of our palace witch right now."

"Oh, another boy? That's pretty rare." Heiji observed, his smile only growing. If there was one difference between Naniwa and the countries away from it, it was their attitude towards witches, it seemed. That was something he was coming to learn first hand for himself. Maybe he _should_ have taken that girl's offer off a glamour spell after all, but he was already wrapped in enough magic at the moment as it was already, and didn't want to add to it. "That's right. My mother's a witch. Hattori Shizuka- though before she got married ta my old man, she went by the name of Ikenami Shizuka. Ya ever heard of her?"

"I have, actually." Shinichi blinked, drawing out the name from his memory. The witch of the howling snow- and the one who was employed as the prophetess for the Toyama family. He had still been young at the time himself, but even he remembered the court gossip that had emerged after she had been selected for the role. "She's the witch who married the leader of Naniwa's guardian knights, isn't she? I did hear that they had a child, but... that's you?"

"That's right, that's right." Nodding his head, Heiji seemed to grumble a little at the mention of his father. There was _still_ a small segment of people within Naniwa who were convinced that he had gotten his role because of his father- when they weren't convinced that he had gotten it because of his _mother_. Even the _implication_ that he was riding on his parent's coattails was enough to make him angry, really. "She our country's prophetess, among other things. I don't have much talent fer magic, really, but I picked up a bit of that gift, it seems."

"In that case, something tells me it's not coincidence that you're here, Hattori." Shinichi said after a moment, turning a rather sharp gaze on him. Although he didn't exactly distrust him, there was something in his words that bothered him. He'd heard some rumors about Naniwa himself- namely that the country was completely sealed off, and nobody could make contact with anyone inside of it. For the princess and her knight to be out of the country during such a time- whatever had happened there, it must have been something big.

It was hard for him to fully trust someone who didn't want to go further into details about such an important matter. Perhaps he'd even be able to help, if he knew what the situation was- they didn't call him the Beika's Great Detective for nothing.

"Ya caught me." Heiji easily confessed, not looking the least bit perturbed by this. "Yer pretty sharp, aren't ya, Kudo? I've heard about ya, ya know. They say yer a pretty brilliant detective." His grin growing all the wider as he leaned in a bit closer to him, he locked eyes with him, a bit of challenge written in his own. "Ya know, I'm somethin' of a detective myself. Maybe not as famous as you or that Hakuba guy, but I'm pretty well known back home."

"Oh? Well, I'm flattered that my reputation has spread all the way to your country, but you still haven't entirely answered my question, Hattori." Shinichi couldn't help but note, arching a brow. Come to think of it, that was one of the rumors that he had heard about the Naniwan princess' knight- that he enjoyed moonlighting as a detective himself, and was supposedly rather good at it. That was something that he had heard from his father, in fact, after he had returned from a trip to Naniwa's royal capital, several months ago.

He had _also_ heard that he had a rather spectacular track record of getting himself in and out of trouble, and somehow, after actually meeting the person in question, he could easily see where such a rumor had come from. Maybe it was simply the difference in traditions between the two countries, but Hattori Heiji didn't act anything like he had come to expect of a knight. Then again, given what he had heard about the princess that he was supposed to be guarding, somehow this didn't surprise him.

If there was one thing that he knew about Toyama Kazuha, though it was only something he had heard from palace gossip, it was that she acted nothing like a normal princess would. In that case, the two of them made quite a pair then.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean ta dance around it." Heiji said quickly, blinking a little. "That's right, though, it's not entirely coincidence that I'm here. It wasn't that easy ta find the two of ya though, I had ta do quite a bit of askin' around before I picked up yer trail!" Giving them something of a sheepish laugh, he scratched his cheek, glancing between the pair. "Rather, I think I might be able ta help ya out with yer search a little. Not fer yer princess, but fer the thing that she ran away ta look fer, if what I saw ain't wrong- an' I don't think it is."

"You wouldn't happen to know _where_ it is, would you?" Shinichi asked, narrowing his eyes, dropping his voice by quite a bit, silently warning him to do the same.

"'Fraid not." Heiji told them, shaking his head. "I might have inherited by mother's gift fer prophecy, but it's not like I can control it. If I could do somethin' like that, I would have _already_ found Kazuha, ya know?" He pointed out, before continuing on. "They just come in flashes from time ta time, mostly in my dreams. I doubt I would be able to see somethin' like that directly anyways, if the rumors about it are really true. But I _did_ get the impression that if I tagged along with the two of ya, I'd be able ta find what I'm lookin' fer."

"Your princess?" Ran asked, peering across the table towards him. As he gave her a rather quick nod of his head, a smile spread out on her face, and she turned to look towards Shinichi. "In that case, why don't we bring Hattori-kun with us, Shinichi? It might be a good idea to have someone of his skills with us."

"I think we'd be able to find Sonoko just fine on our own." Shinichi said simply. "Besides, it's not our job to look for what was stolen, it's only our job to bring Sonoko back home, safe and sound. The theft is my _father's_ job."

"So yer the type ta leave somethin' that sounds too complicated fer ya ta yer old man, huh?" Heiji observed, leaning his chin into his hands, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Given what I heard about ya, Kudo, I was suspectin' that ya'd be more impressive than this. I'm kinda disappointed."

"That's not what I-" Shinichi nearly snapped, before he drew himself back, letting out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead. Glancing between Heiji and Ran alike, taking note of the rather expectant look that both of their gazes held, he finally heaved yet another sigh, feeling a vague hint of a headache coming on. " _Fine_. But if you're going to be joining us, Hattori, I'd like to be on the need to know basis about what's going on in your country."

"That's fair." Heiji said, giving him a rather firm nod of his head. "Well, I'd rather not discuss it in too much detail in a place as busy as this, though, if that's alright with ya. I can tell ya all about it when we get on the road, though. Where ya headed off ta now, anyways?"

"Ekoda's capital." Shinichi told him frankly. He wasn't about to argue with him on the other point- he was probably right. Just like he would rather avoid discussing the specifics of why Sonoko had run off in the first place here, he could imagine that it was the same for Heiji and why he and Kazuha had fled their country in the first place. One never knew whose ears were listening in a place like this, after all. "We were hoping that we would have a chance to head off Sonoko there."

"The capital, huh?" Heiji blinked, frowning a little, rubbing the back of his head. "If I knew the two of ya were headin' into Ekoda, I would have stayed put where I was then. Well, I guess it can't much be helped. I'm lookin' forward ta workin' with the two of ya nevertheless, though!"

"Same here, Hattori-kun." Ran told him, offering him her hand. "I'm sure we'll be able to find the one you're looking for as well."

"I'm sure." Heiji said simply, carefully taking her hand in his own, making sure to watch his grip this time. He was going to have to monitor his strength a bit more closely. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally hurt someone- traveling with other people was running a big enough risk as it was already. If he wasn't certain of what he had been shown in his dream the other day, then he wouldn't have even entertained the notion in the first place, not in his current state.

If there was one thing that he had learned, it was that however incomplete they were, it was to trust what he saw in his dreams. He could only hope that that witch's magic hadn't twisted his visions to any degree- but right now, they were about the only guide that he had, so he had to trust them.

Well, one way or another, he'd get through his current ordeal. There was no way he was going to lose to something like this, no matter how powerful the curse that was dwelling within him was. Likewise, he'd have to be careful- the last thing he wanted was for either of his new traveling companions to notice his condition. No good would come from that. As long as he found that thing, just like he had promised that witch, he would be fine- and he knew that he could do it through them.

Even if he _did_ hate having to lie to them, if only by omission. He wasn't lying when he said that he had heard of Kudo Shinichi's reputation before- really, he would have preferred if the two of them could have met underneath different circumstances. The girl that he was with seemed rather nice as well- he wasn't lying when he said that Kazuha would probably like her. But he had no other choice.

He could only hope that what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.  
_____________________________________________________________________

"I really do feel bad about this." Kazuha couldn't help but say, glancing somewhat nervously around the room. It had been awhile since she had stayed in an inn, and it was using someone else's money at that. Really, she had more or less been trying to avoid human settlements for the large part lately, worried that there was a chance that the witch might catch wind of her- but maybe she really wasn't looking for her anymore. Ever since that day, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of any of her familiars, so maybe she really was safe now. "You've even bought me a new horse an' everythin'."

"It's hardly a problem, Kazuha-chan." Sonoko said simply, giving her a small smile, before letting out a rather loud yawn. Still, she wasn't quite ready to go to sleep yet- she hadn't quite gotten the chance to speak with Kazuha as much as she would like on their journey today, so she wasn't going to pass up this chance while she had it. "It's better to have your own, isn't it?"

"That's right." Sera said, nodding her head, sparing the two girls a glance as she carefully checked her light armor for any signs of wear. Satisfied that it was in good condition, she set it aside for the moment. "It's easier this way, rather than having you share someone's horse the entire way to Ekoda. Besides, it's not fitting for a princess to be traveling on foot."

"I don't really mind walkin'." Kazuha noted, shaking her head, before she decided that it was for the best that she accepted their generosity. It wouldn't do for her to flat out reject it- that would just be plain rude. "But really, thank ya. I'll make sure ta pay ya back once everythin' with my country gets sorted out."

"You don't have to worry about something like that!" Sonoko was quick to reassure her, pulling out a chair and sitting down on it, propping her elbows up on the table. Resting her chin in her hands, she peered up at her fellow princess, a curious look dancing in her eyes. "More importantly, tell me more about yourself, Kazuha-chan. It's not often that you get to speak with Naniwan royalty, after all."

"Well, I'm sure we'd meet at some point anyways, Sonoko-chan." Kazuha said easily, giving her a small smile. "It's not like I'm usually trapped in some kind of birdcage, or anythin' like that, even if my country is a _bit_ more isolated than most. I can travel anywhere within it pretty freely, as long my knight is with me."

"What about to Lamia?" Sera piped up, barely sparing the girl a glance, not wanting the underlying motive of her question to be revealed. "Yours is the only country that borders it, right? If I recall correctly, Lamia used to be part of Naniwa in the first place, wasn't it?"

"Lamia's a bit different." Kazuha confessed after a moment. "I've been there once or twice before- it's a pretty interestin' place, as one would expect from a country of witches." Giving her a small nod of her head, she smiled over towards Sera. "An' that's right. Originally Lamia was part of our kingdom, before the twenty second king promised it to the queen of the witches. Well, that was over a thousand years ago, though."

"I remember hearing about that in my history lessons." Sonoko recalled. There was no way she could have forgotten about something that romantic, after all! "He offered it to her in hopes that he could put a stop to the Great Witch's War, right? To give the witches their own homeland where no one could bother them. Not to mention the fact that he gave the hand of his youngest son to the witch's eldest daughter, who had fallen in love with him."

"I've heard tales about that myself." Sera said, finally turning to look fully towards the two princesses, a slight frown on her face. "But to cross into Lamia, don't you need to get special permission from the border guard? Even if you're a princess, surely such a thing must not be that easy."

"That must be because she has witch blood in her!" Sonoko chimed in, an expression of excitement crossing her face, as she turned to look back towards Kazuha. "Right?"

"Ah, no, that's not it." Kazuha quickly said, shaking her head. "Even though I _do_ have that sort of thing in my bloodline, it's pretty faint. I can only use a bit of household magic here an' there, an' make good luck charms. I don't even have a witch's ring, so I hardly qualify. Of course, the same goes fer my parents."

"Ah, now that you mention it..." Sonoko trailed off a little, peering a bit deeper into her eyes. That ring of a different shade in their eyes that marked the offspring of a witch wasn't there. "Then, in that case, how did you get in? I asked our palace witch about it once, and she said it's not really that easy for a normal human to get a pass to enter Lamia. They have to have a pretty good reason, if they're not in the company of a witch, or one of their direct offspring."

"Heiji's mother is a witch." Kazuha told them, giving the pair a small smile. "He was born in Lamia an' raised there before he moved ta Naniwa with her. His father used ta be head of the border guard, before he was promoted ta be the head of all of our country's knights. He can enter an' leave the country freely, an' he brought me ta visit it once or twice before. Well, the last time was around three years ago now, so it's been awhile since then."

"Eh? Is that really true?" Sera blinked. So the rumors were true after all- Naniwa's attitude towards witches and their children must really be different indeed if they were letting one climb as far up the ladder as being the personal knight to their crown princess. Well, she had also heard that the heir's personal knight was always selected by prophecy, which was always something that she had found a bit odd. "That's pretty unusual. You don't often hear of male offspring."

"Really?" Sonoko blinked, a slight frown on her face. "There's one who works in our palace, actually. A rather clumsy guy by the name of Eisuke. Our palace witch is teaching him the ins and outs of magic right now. I didn't know they were that uncommon."

"Really?" Now it was Kazuha's turn to be interested, turning to look towards Sonoko. "Besides Heiji, I've never met any male ones before. Well, he can't really use magic, though. His mother's an ice witch, an' Heiji, well..." letting out a slight laugh, Kazuha couldn't help but beam a little. "...there's a _slight_ issue with personality compatibility there. Heiji's really the hotblooded type, ya see."

"Hotblooded, huh?" Sera asked, a slight grin on her face. "Well, that's the first time I've ever heard of anyone's personality preventing them from being able to use magic properly, but I guess this world's made up of all kinds." She had heard that a witch's child usually inherited their mother's magic, so she could somewhat understand how that might be a bit of a problem. A human's magic and a witch's magic weren't the same, in the end. "I actually know one or two spells myself. Well, they're mostly body reinforcement spells. I don't really have much mana, so I have to use them a bit sparingly. What about you, Sonoko-chan?"

"Me?" Sonoko asked. "I know a bit of healing magic. When I was younger, I was always trying to get Shiho-san- ah, that's our palace's witch," she added, almost as an afterthought, "...to teach me magic. She knows human's magic as well, but in the end, healing spells were the only kind I had any affinity for. My mana's pretty good though, if I recall correctly, though it's been awhile since I've had it measured. What about you, Kazuha-chan? You mentioned what kind of spells you could use earlier, but how's your mana?"

"Pretty good actually." Kazuha told her. "I just can't use it very well. Well, in regards ta that, Heiji's even worse off than me. Because of his mom, his mana's almost limitless, but he can barely use it." Letting out a small chuckle, she couldn't help but let a hint of fondness creep into her voice. "Well, he's always the more direct type, though. A sword really suits him better."

"You really _do_ seem close to him. Are you _sure_ you're not in love with them?" Sonoko couldn't help but tease, leaning a bit closer to her, a mischievous look dancing in her eyes. She had seen this set up before- childhood friends who had been by each others side ever since they were little, slowly developing romantic feelings for each other bit by bit. It was so eerily similar to Shinichi and Ran, that there was no way that the two of them weren't in love just the same as they were. A princess and her knight- what a pair!

She was honestly a bit jealous. Why was she stuck with a bunch of old guys for her knight squadron, when she could have had an attractive young man around her own age? Well, granted, she had no idea what this Hattori Heiji actually _looked_ like, other than how he had been described to her by Kazuha, but she was willing to bet money on the fact that he was probably a bit good looking.

At the very least, she had seemed to have really lucked out in the bodyguard category. Letting her gaze trail over towards Sera, she once more reconfirmed that she had made a very good choice when she had hired her. Not only had she gotten a very competent bodyguard, and a very skilled detective- but she had also hired herself a rather attractive piece of eye candy as well. Even if she didn't manage to find the one she was looking for before Shinichi caught up to her and dragged her home, she got the feeling that she would be more than satisfied from just having spent time with Sera.

Perhaps she could convince her to come back to Beika with her, and to root herself to the royal city. Maybe it was high time her country started up the tradition of giving it's crown princess a personal knight as well.

"N-not at all!" Kazuha stammered, her cheeks flushing a bright shade of red. "Me? In love with that _idiot_? No way, no way! A girl would have ta be crazy ta fall in love with a guy like that!"

"Methinks the princess doth protest too much." Sonoko couldn't help but quip, barely masking her amused smile with her hand, and not doing anything to conceal the twinkle in her eyes.

"It's really not like that!" Kazuha insisted, folding her arms in front of her chest, turning around sharply on her heel. "It's just that we've been together ever since we were children, an' given the circumstances under which we were separated, I can't help but worry about that idiot, that's all!"

"Ah..." Trailing off a little, suddenly remembering that the knight in question was in fact, currently missing, Sonoko's face fell, an apologetic look quickly taking it's place. "Sorry, Kazuha-chan. I'm sure you'll find him again eventually, right? From the way you describe him, he sounds pretty stubborn. That type won't even die if you kill them! I should know, I have _plenty_ of experience with that type of person myself."

"That's true." Kazuha admitted, sparing a glance back towards her. "I'm sure wherever he is, Heiji is just fine." Placing a hand over her charm, she briefly closed her eyes, for a moment feeling a bit of warmth seep through it. She might not be much of a witch, but she was confident that so long as Heiji had his charm with him, he would be fine.

She wasn't about to tell them that, though. It was embarrassing enough as it was, if she said something like that out loud, it would only lead Sonoko to believing that she was totally right. Worst of all was the fact that she _absolutely was_ \- was she really that easy to read? Honestly- why did she have to go and fall in love with that guy in the first place? Who ever heard of a princess falling in love with her own knight? There was no way that she would be allowed to marry him, however on good terms her parents were with his. It would never work out between the two of them, so there was no reason to hope for such a thing in the first place.

Besides, she was pretty sure Heiji didn't see her as anything but a close friend in the first place. He'd probably eventually some pretty witch girl to fall in love with, and would leave her behind. There was no point in hoping for anything more between the two of them than that.

As long as she could be by his side again, that would be more than enough for her. Really, really... she couldn't help but be worried about that idiot. No one knew better than her his knack for getting himself into trouble, to the point where there were some people who claimed that it was because he was cursed.  
____________________________________________________________________

"Is that true? You really saw something strange coming out of the forest the other night?" Startling both the one who had asked the question in the first place, as well as the one who had answered it, Kaito all but butt into the conversation, unable to keep quiet after what he had heard. He had spent the better part of the day asking questions around the village with Hakuba, and now that night had fallen, the two of them were getting ready to call it quits for the day, and resume tomorrow. They had just stopped to speak to a passing villager, when she had finally gave them something that might be their first clue. "Was it a girl?"

"It wasn't a girl." The woman who they were speaking to said, shaking her head. "At the very least, I didn't see anyone like you described, Kaito-kun. I'm sorry I can't help you there. But at the very least, I _did_ see something odd coming from the forest the other night."

"Why didn't you mention that to me before?" Kaito pressed, a tight frown appearing on his face.

"At the time, I didn't think it was important." The woman told him, shaking her head. "At the very least, not given the questions that you were asking me. After you left though, and that tower crumbled last night, I started to wonder if it was important after all, and thought I would tell you the next time that I saw you. Well," she paused, gaze darting over towards Hakuba. "...I didn't expect you to bring the prince with you, though."

"Nevermind _Hakuba_ ," There was something in the downright dismissive way that Kaito referred to him that almost made Hakuba twitch, even if he could understand the reasons behind it. "...tell me about what you saw already, granny."

"Ah, yes." Slowly nodding her head, the older woman glanced between the pair. "It was a rather large black wolf. I've never seen one so large before, and never so close to the village. I know that we have some more out towards the border, but it's not often that they stray towards here. They tend to avoid places with human settlements, after all. And it's size..." Trailing off a little, she shook her head. "There was no way that was a normal wolf. Not to mention it's eyes..."

"What about it's eyes?" Hakuba inquired, placing a hand against his chin in thought, once more recalling the rumors that he had heard about the raven black witch. If that were the case, then...

"They were a bit too human, really." The woman remarked, her lips curling together in a frown. "I couldn't really make out their color, but they didn't feel like an animal's eyes to me. When it noticed that I was watching it, it ran the other way."

"Is there anything else?" Kaito asked, a slightly hopeful note to his voice. "Where did you see it, and which way did it go?"

"Aside from that, there's nothing else." The woman told him. "If I recall correctly, it came out from the forest around where those two trees twist together, on the east side. You know what I mean, don't you, Kaito-kun?" When he nodded his head in response, she nodded her own, continuing on. "It ran away to the left facing from that side, I believe. Well, I didn't stick around after that to see if it would come back, of course. I hurried home."

"Thanks, granny." Kaito said after a moment, turning back towards Hakuba. "I know the place that she's talking about. We should begin searching there."

"Unfortunately, it will have to wait until there is light again." Hakuba observed, glancing up towards the sky. "In the darkness of the night, it is possible that we might miss something important."

Opening up his mouth to protest, Kaito quickly shut it, heaving a long sigh. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he had a point- there was no good rushing things if they were just going to miss something vital. "Alright. In that case, you can come and stay over at my place for the night, _your highness_ ~. Unless of course, the dwellings of a simple court magician are not to your taste?"

"I'm used to camping out while investigating a case. It's no problem." Hakuba said simply, shaking his head, not responding to Kaito's clear attempt to rile him up. "Given that this is going to take a bit longer than I thought, I would like to take a chance to send a missive back to the palace."

"Sure, there's no problem with that." Kaito said simply, nodding his head, before glancing at the old woman again. "Thanks again, granny. Hopefully we'll be able to find something off of that clue."

"Well, good luck, Kaito-kun. Still, I'm surprised that there was someone living up in that tower all this time... I hope she turns out to be alright." The old woman remarked. "And to think that it happened while you were out of the country at that. By the way, I didn't get a chance to ask with all the fuss- how did your audition go?"

"Audition?" Hakuba blinked, glancing over towards Kaito.

"Ah, I failed, unfortunately." Kaito told her, rubbing the back of his head, letting out a low laugh, managing to conceal his nervousness well. "The level of those I was going up against was just that high. It looks like I'll be working out of old man Ginzo's place for awhile longer yet."

"Well, that's too bad. I know how excited you were about it." The old woman said with a frown. "Well, I won't hold the two of you up any longer. Make sure you show the prince proper hospitality, Kaito-kun. We can't possibly have him leave us with a bad impression of our village."

"I can assure you that will not be the case, madam." Hakuba said quickly, flashing her a rather polite smile. "As far as I can see, you have a rather lovely village here indeed. Although, there is one more thing that I wanted to ask. I heard from Kuroba-kun here that there is a witch in this village?"

"Yes, that's right." The old woman told him, missing the way that Kaito whispered underneath his breath to not go into that subject. "She's a bit of an odd girl, but I suppose all witches are. If I recall, she's a red witch. I believe her full title is the crimson red witch. Well, she's a bit eccentric, but the potion that she made for my back pain works wonders, so she's a rather good girl when it comes down to it. Your father has my thanks for sending her all the way out here. He's personally in charge of handing out their licenses, isn't he?"

"That's correct." Hakuba told her, not letting his smile falter. It was better that the villagers didn't know that the witch was living here without permission. As much as it worried him, he didn't want to unintentionally spark a witch hunt- that very same thing was the cause of the Great Witch's War in the first place, and he hardly wanted to be the spark that would cause thousand year old history to repeat itself. "I'll pass on your words to him. Thank you for your time, ma'am."

"Seriously, you should just forget about Akako already." Kaito muttered once the woman had left them, glancing over towards Hakuba. He was starting to regret ever mentioning her to him- but how was he supposed to know that Akako hadn't actually obtained the proper permission to set up a residence here in the first place? She always kept her past to herself, after all.

"I can't ignore a witch forgoing the proper procedures, even if she isn't doing any harm. Those laws were put in place for a reason, Kuroba-kun." Hakuba told him, heaving a long sigh. "They were put in place just as much to protect them as they were to protect normal humans. We can't monitor their safety if we don't even know where they _are_."

"More importantly, you're _certain_ that the witch we're dealing with here is the raven black witch, correct?" Hakuba asked, quickly changing the topic.

"Yeah. Why do you bring it up now? I told you that much before." Kaito told him, casting him a slightly suspicious look. "You're surely not thinking of backing out of this, are you?"

"Of course not. Once I've accepted a job, I see it through to the end." Hakuba said simply, shaking his head. "I was only recalling something that I had heard about her in the past. You've seen her in person from the sound of it, so I imagine you're the best person to ask to confirm this. She _does_ use wolves as her familiars, correct?"

"Ravens too." Kaito replied. "She was always accompanied by at least one of each whenever I saw her. If there really was a large wolf lingering around the forest, it was probably one of hers." Blinking a little, he spared the prince a glance. "Do you know something?"

"It's just that I recalled hearing from somewhere that most of her familiars are shapeshifters." Hakuba told him. "That said, such a thing has never been confirmed. But the way that woman described the eyes of that wolf... maybe there's something to that rumor after all."

"Shapeshifters?" Kaito frowned. "That's the first I've heard of that. None of the ones following her around ever felt particularly human to me. Well then again, I was doing my best to avoid their notice, so it's not like I ever got a real close look at them. How can I put it..." trailing off a little, his brows furrowed in thought, dredging up their rather monstrous images. "They felt more like monsters. Like writhing shadows."

"Well, a rumor is just a rumor." Hakuba told him simply. That said, he wasn't willing to rule out the chance just yet. The rumors also said that they were all cursed into such states- and there was no telling how much free will that a witch of her reputation would leave to them. "I can promise you this, Kuroba-kun- I won't put this investigation behind me until I'm certain that I've exhausted every possible lead. I can't guarantee that I'll find your missing childhood friend, given who we might very well be going up against here- but I will follow through on what I said."

"I'm counting on it." Nodding his head, Kaito found a hand straying towards the pouch that he still wore around his waist, almost without thinking about it. If they couldn't find Aoko, then everything he had done would prove meaningless- but he wasn't about to abandon hope just yet. Until the very end, he would look for her.

Until then, he just had to make sure that the detective prince didn't catch wind that the client who had hired him was a crook himself. _That_ would put an end to his story rather quickly.


	6. The Princess Must Make a (Rather Delayed) Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they draw closer to their destination, the royal palace of Ekoda, Sonoko makes herself admit to her traveling companions that her quest might not be something everyone back home is aware of.

"I don't suppose you have any skill at tracking, do you?"

"Not after this much time has passed, I'm afraid not." Sparing a brief glance over towards Kaito, Hakuba's eyes narrowed, finding himself deep in thought. Even the horses that they had brought with them seemed rather placid- there must have been no remaining trace of the wolf that had passed through this area a week ago. "There's no sign of any tracks, none that I can locate, at the very least. Did it rain recently?"

"If it did, I wouldn't know. At the very least, it hasn't rained in the past three days or so." Kaito told him freely, shaking his head. "Like I said before, I was away from the village for about a week or so. It was only when I returned that I noticed that Aoko was missing."

"I see." Scanning the area again, Hakuba's frown only deepened. Although most of the tower had collapsed in on itself, he could still make out a portion of it's remaining structure from where they were standing, just outside of the forest's edge, where the old woman had reported seeing the strange wolf. It was fairly close to the clearing where the tower was, all things considered- and frankly, he doubted it was a coincidence. If the wolf that had been spotted here was one of the raven witch's familiars, then...

"At the very least we know the basic direction the wolf ran off towards, so for the time being, it would be best if we headed in that direction." Hakuba observed. "There's a chance that we might be able to pick something up if we head down that way. Even if there was anything to be gained by going through the rubble of the tower ourselves, we would never be able to do it in a timely fashion on our own. I sent a notification to the captain of the guard however, instructing them to send a few men out to do it, and to inform me if they uncover anything."

He had also contacted the palace to inform them that he would be away for awhile, and to direct any important missives for him to his messenger hawk. The matter of Beika's stolen royal treasure still troubled him, but Kudo Yuusaku was a competent man, and would surely require no assistance in tracking it, nor the one who had stolen it, down. There was also the mysterious matter of Naniwa, whose borders had been completely sealed, but that was a problem that was still rather distantly removed from that of Ekoda's own. The matter was of course, concerning, but the two countries didn't share any kind of trade or strong relations to begin with, so it had very little to do with them.

"That's a prince for you." Kaito said, folding his arms behind his head. "All you have to do is say a single word, and people fall in line behind you."

"Need I remind you that _you're_ the one who came to me asking for help, Kuroba-kun?" Hakuba noted, turning a rather sharp eye on him. "What I do, I do for the sake of the people of my country, to better the lives of my fellow countrymen. The power given to me by the people of it is not one that I use lightly."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure." Nodding his head, Kaito took his horse's reins, glancing over towards Hakuba with a rather studious look. He wasn't quite sure what he had expected from the so-called detective prince, but he was more serious about it than he had expected him to be. He had always kind of gotten the impression that his country's prince was just doing the detective thing on a whim- but it would appear that there was some rather serious motivation behind it after all. He could understand a bit now why Akako's oracle had lead him to Hakuba in the first place.

That was even _more_ reason to be careful around him, though. He couldn't have him figure out what it was that he was carrying on him, safely tucked away in a pouch that never left his side. Given how hard nosed he was being about Akako living here apparently without permission, he doubted that he would accept the fact that he had stolen the royal treasure from the neighboring kingdom in order to use it to break Aoko's curse. Even if he _did_ have every intention of giving it back afterwards- no matter how much the jewel tried to whisper to him it's promises of vast power, all his for the taking. He wasn't the sort of man who gave into that sort of thing, nor was he the sort of man who even needed such things. If the mystical stone wanted to tempt him, it was going to have to do better than _that_.

"Then, shall we get going, your highness? The days might be long in these season, but that's no reason to waste perfectly good daylight." Kaito noted. Considering that there was nothing even to find here, the fact that they hadn't been able to investigate this last night chafed at him all the more. "Right now, this wolf is our only lead."

"I wouldn't say it's our _only_ lead." Hakuba remarked. "I'm still not convinced that the young man that was spotted in the village asking questions of a missing girl is entirely unrelated to the matter at hand."

"Like I told you, he was asking questions about a different girl. The description didn't match Aoko's at all." Kaito told him, before heaving a slight sigh. "But I guess _you're_ the detective, so you would probably know better. Why do you think he's so suspicious to begin with?" There was a slight pause then, as Kaito's eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me it's because of the-"

"I can assure you, that's not the case." Hakuba said simply, carefully mounting his horse. "It's the timing, more than anything, that bothers me. Even if he was asking around for a different girl, it's possible that could be used as a tactic for ferreting out information without rousing suspicion about the person that he was really searching for. According to what you told me, both the girl he was looking for, and your missing childhood friend, at the very least seem to look around the same age. If one were to see an unfamiliar girl of a similar age, one would be like to mention it, even if it wasn't the one he was asking for."

Even if there was a chance that the mysterious young man was telling the truth, and really was searching for someone himself, there was a chance that the matter wasn't entirely unrelated to the collapse of the tower and the disappearance of it's resident. Beyond that, he couldn't do anything to deter his need to meddle in any case that crossed his path- and if there really was someone else who needed his assistance, even a foreigner, from the sound of him, then he was more than happy to provide whatever assistance that he could.

"Now that you mention it..." Trailing off a little, a rather serious expression crossed Kaito's face, even as he mounted his own horse. "But nobody even got his name."

"Well, luckily, a dark skinned young man with a witch's ring and a strange accent is likely to stand out in people's memories far more than a pale faced young girl, even if we have no name to go on." Hakuba remarked, sparing him another glance. "Let us depart then, Kuroba-kun. We'll spend the morning trying to see if we can pick up on the wolf's trail. If something that big passed through this way, there's a chance that other people might have seen it come and go."

"And if we can't pick up it's trail?" Kaito asked.

"Then we'll return to your village, and try our luck with the other lead. Perhaps that might offer us some more answers. I've also made sure to inform the captain of the guard to keep an eye out for anyone who matches your friend's description, or that of the raven black witch's." Hakuba noted, his eyes narrowing slightly, as he ordered his horse to begin marching forward. "Of course, I also made sure to inform them to keep their distance if they do spot either of them, even just the girl alone. Given the circumstances, we can't afford to be careless."

"Can't say I blame you. I'm sure your knights are all very skilled, but there's no way they can win against something like _that_." Kaito admitted, his grip tightening on his reins. He would hardly consider himself a coward- avoiding fights that he knew that he couldn't win wasn't cowardice, but rather, common sense. It was pointless to work towards an objective if you weren't even alive at the end to enjoy the fruits of your labor, and he'd long since had a very keen sense of danger bred into him. It was that sense that informed him that beyond a shadow of a doubt, that woman, that _witch_ , was _not_ someone that he could deal with on his own.

From the very first time he had seen her, he had been overcome with the sheer difference between the two of them. It wasn't just the two inky black familiars that lurked around her- monstrous, otherworldly beasts who the sight of made his skin crawl, but the witch herself. Truly, she was just as beautiful as a woman as the rumors claimed, not a bit exaggerated- but that somehow only made her all the more terrifying. He could understand why she was a witch that even other witches feared- why she was a witch that even those in the country of witches wanted nothing to do with.

But if Aoko was in her clutches, then he couldn't run away from her forever. Discovering the reason why she had been keeping Aoko in that tower, underneath a curse, was probably key in finding her- learning the reason why she wanted her, and why she had taken her _now_. He knew full well that she had some faint idea that Aoko received a visitor aside from her from time to time, but he didn't think even she would have been able to see through his plan to snatch Pandora- and a witch of her power could have just easily gotten it herself if she really wanted it. Still, if she had moved her because Aoko's curse being broken was for some reason bad for her, then...

Whatever the case, he couldn't abandon Aoko, not after all this time. He'd promised her years ago, after all, with all the earnestness that a young child could muster, that he would do whatever he could to break the curse that had been placed on her, so that she could come live freely with everyone. Even as the nature of the feelings he bore for her changed over the years, that was something that never wavered.

He had already gone so far as to take up his father's mantle for her- he wasn't about to back down from this now.  
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"The _entire country_ is under a curse?" For a moment, Shinichi almost couldn't believe his ears- but it didn't appear that this knight of Naniwa, this Hattori Heiji was lying to him, not judging from the serious expression on his face. Although he had promised to speak with them about what was happening in Naniwa when he met up with them that morning, it hadn't been until they were out on the road that he opened up about the exact circumstances that had brought both princess and royal knight here, to a country so distant from that of their own.

He had certainly expected that _something_ terrible had happened, and certainly, he had heard rumors that Naniwa had sealed it's borders to outside countries, cutting off all contact with those outside. Still, he couldn't have ever imagined it would have been this bad- he had been under the impression that perhaps there was some kind of internal strife going on in the country, that made it dangerous for the heir to the throne to stay there for the time being. The story that he had been given instead was nothing like what he had been expecting- exactly how much power would you need to cast a curse over an _entire country_?

"That's pretty much the gist of it, yeah." Heiji said simply, nodding his head, his brows furrowing together in thought. Even now, even after two months had passed, he could still picture that morning vividly- the way everyone around him had simply began to fall where they were, put into a sleep from which he could not awaken them. He wasn't the type of person who feared much- but in that moment, he couldn't shake the feeling of terror that surged through him.

Not for himself, but rather, for the one that he was sworn to protect. As he began to realize that this strange sleeping spell seemed to be affecting everyone in the royal city, he quickly sought out Kazuha, fearing for the worst, that she too, would have fallen where she had stood. The two of them had very nearly missed each other, in their hurry to find the other- but in the end, their paths had crossed, and he had never been gladder to see her in his entire life. At the same time, he had been overcome by a powerful feeling that the two of them couldn't stay where they were- that they needed to flee, as soon possible, perhaps all the way out of the country.

They almost hadn't made it. If he had hesitated to act, if he hadn't trusted his instincts... the two of them might very well be trapped in that country, even now. And if the sleeping curse was just the first phase of something much larger, something much grander- he didn't want to think about it.

"I'll tell ya this now, Kudo, Neechan." Casting a glance between the two of them, Heiji's lips briefly twisting in a frown at the way he had to look up to the both of them- it couldn't be helped really, considering that they were both currently on horseback, and he on foot. "I did offer ta help ya an' all, an' I was earnest in that. I mostly managed ta shake off my pursuers," By falling into a ravine, getting swept away by the river, and spending a month drifting in and out of consciousness, but neither of them needed to know _that_. "...but if ya don't wanna risk even the slightest chance of gettin' involved with them, we can go our separate ways at the next town."

"By pursuers, who exactly do you mean, Hattori-kun?" Ran asked, frowning a little as she peered down at him- it was a bit awkward to talk this way. "I'm pretty strong myself, you know. As for Shinichi, well... at the very least, he knows how to _not_ get in the way of a fight."

They had, of course, offered to buy Heiji a horse of his own- but he had turned them down. He wasn't any good with animals, he had told them- and true to his words, their own horses had been rather skittish around him when they had first brought them out. It had taken them some time to acclimate to his presence. If anything, she was impressed by the easy way he was keeping pace with both of them, in spite of being on foot. While they weren't exactly racing down the road, they were still going at a fairly brisk pace- the fact that he could not only keep up with them, but carry on a conversation with them at the same time, without so much as breaking a sweat, was nothing short of amazing.

Shinichi had definitely noticed as much himself, and it had put that look into his eyes, that one that she had come to know so well. She almost wanted to scold him for it- she found no reason to find anything that Heiji had told them thus far to be suspect. She might not be a detective, but she _did_ know people- and she could make out the fact that Heiji himself had caught the look in Shinichi's eyes. It was what got him talking in the first place.

"I don't doubt that ya are, Neechan, but it's not a matter of _who_ , it's a matter of _what_. If ya fight with yer fists, yer already at a disadvantage." Heiji told her, folding his arms in front of his chest. "If ya know anythin' about witches, Neechan, I'm sure ya know that there's probably only one witch with enough power ta cast a curse that strong." At the sound of their horses stopping in their tracks, he halted his own pace, turning back to face the both of them. "I didn't mean ta keep this part from ya, but it's not the sort of thing ya can talk about freely in a crowded tavern like that."

Even if he did still need them for his own purposes, at the very least, they had to right to have something of a _choice_ in the matter. He didn't know what kind of danger he might be dragging them into, didn't know if by doing so, he would direct the attention of that witch towards them. He didn't even know if the witch was still looking for him- or if she assumed that it was only a matter of time before he came to her.

He planned to, but not like she expected. Or at the very least, he _hoped_ it wouldn't work out like she expected. He wasn't going to give into something like this so easily, not without a fight. His father had always acted like being stubborn and willful were faults of his, but in this situation, they were probably his greatest strengths.

"I thought she was only just a story." Shinichi said slowly, for once almost uncertain of his words. He had always thought that the witch of legend, the one who was said to have nearly once leveled the witch's country in her anger at her fellow kin ending the war against the humans for it, the one who was rumored to be as powerful as a force of nature, was nothing more than just that- a legend. A fairy tale meant to frighten children, a convenient villain created to gloss over the more complicated reasons behind the Great Witch's War, nothing more, nothing less. Even if there was a witch who had been the key to spark the war, who had turned on those of her own kin who sought to make peace with humans, to end the war, surely the legends had been exaggerated, warped, over time.

Besides, even if witches lived longer than humans, living for a thousand years was unheard of. A good two hundred, perhaps even four hundred if they were of good stock, but _several thousand_? Such a thing was impossible.

"Trust me, I _wish_ she was only just a story." Heiji told him firmly- not that he couldn't understand his doubt. In the thousand years since the end of the Great Witch's War, most of the world had slowly begun to believe she was something akin to a myth, a wild rumor. "In Lamia an' Naniwa alike, everyone knows that much. Even a thousand years after the fact, Lamia still bears the scars of her anger. I've seen that much myself. Believe me Kudo, whatever ya might have thought about the stories before now, she's just as real as you or I."

"If someone with witch's blood is telling me that much so earnestly, I suppose I have no choice but to accept it as truth." Shinichi said, his eyes narrowing. If that were the case, then it would probably behoove him to send a message back to Shiho, the first chance that he got. It was probably for the best that Ran had thought to buy them a messenger bird- if such a power really was making a move after all this time, it wasn't just Naniwa's problem- but rather, it was the problem of every country on the continent.

And perhaps even beyond that, if the legends he had heard about her were really all true.

"Then, the reason that you and Toyama-san got separated...?" Ran began, almost not wanting to finish her sentence. Given how at easy Heiji seemed to be in regards to his princess, she knew that he at least, seemed fairly confident that she was both alive and safe, but she knew full well what sort of things that witch was capable of. There wasn't a single child who hadn't grown up hearing the tales about her.

"That's right. It was because of that _witch_." Heiji told them, half growling the last word. Taking a second to calm his anger, he let out a long breath before he pressed on. He couldn't lose his temper like this. "Or rather, it was more because of her familiars, ta be exact. The two of us were attacked by them about a month after we fled Naniwa. Kazuha's strong, but she's not equipped ta fight those things, not with her style of choice. I had no choice but ta draw them away from her, in order ta let her escape. We were supposed ta meet up somewhere after the fact, but..."

"Well, I ended up gettin' badly injured, and was out of it fer a month, recoverin'." Heiji told them frankly, rubbing the back of his neck. That was more or less the truth, even if he had left out a few things here and there. Hopefully what they didn't know, wouldn't hurt them. "An' even worse, I ended up fallin' into a river, an' wound up washin' up somewhere in _Ekoda_. Even if I went back ta the place I promised ta meet up with her now, I doubt she's still there. That girl's probably still lookin' fer a way ta save her country, even on her own."

"Why would the raven black witch even do such a thing?" Shinichi asked, narrowing his eyes. Accepting the fact that the mythical witch really existed was a rather quick thing, as he saw no point in arguing with someone who had every reason to know better than him. He knew full well that there were certain pieces of lore that were kept between witches and their offspring- all the more reason to send word to Shiho about this matter. "What does she gain from putting your country to sleep? For the matter, what of Lamia?"

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer ta _any_ of those questions, Kudo. If I knew, I'd already be tryin' ta do somethin' about it." Heiji said, shaking his head. "We didn't exactly have all that much time ta check out everythin'. We pretty much ended up fleein' with the clothes on our backs, an' not much else." He told them. "But that's the story. Like I said, I pretty much ended up shakin' off that witch's familiars, but there's still a chance that she might hold some interest in me an' Kazuha alike. If ya want me ta leave yer company, I can understand. Ya've got yer own problems ta deal with."

"No, it's fine." Shinichi said after a moment, glancing down at Heiji, his brows furrowing together in thought. The revival of the legendary witch and the theft of Pandora- were they really just coincidences? Even if they were, there was a chance that the witch herself might hear word that the royal treasure had gone missing. Shinichi wasn't certain how well they could defend it even if it were where it should be, not against someone of her rumored power- while their kingdom's own witch, Miyano Shiho, was a talent rarely seen, she was nowhere near as powerful as the witch that he had read about in stories. Even if the legends were only half true, still...

The situation wasn't a good one.

"If what you tell me is true, this very well might be something that will not only effect Naniwa, but the rest of the continent, at the very least." Glancing over towards Ran, a rather serious expression settled on his face, one which she mirrored on her own, more or less able to guess what it was that he was thinking. "We need to send word back to everyone as soon as the messenger bird returns, Ran. If the raven black witch is really on the move, then it's become all that much more important that we bring Sonoko back home as soon as possible."

"I agree." Ran said, placing a hand over the homing whistle that she had strung around her neck. She had yet to feel it vibrate, indicating that the bird that she had sent out was somewhere near, but hopefully it would return soon. "But are you really certain that Toyama-san is fine, Hattori-kun? If such a dangerous person really was chasing after you..."

"Oh, that?" Shaking his head, Heiji merely let out a faint laugh. After what he had told them, he couldn't blame them for being worried- but if there was one thing that his heart was _mostly_ calm about, it was that. At the very least, he knew she was _safe_ \- if perhaps not as sound as he would like. "That's fine, trust me. If somethin' happened ta Kazuha, I'd probably be the first one ta know about it. Before it had a chance ta even happen, at that. Since I haven't seen anythin', she's probably doin' well."

"Does that have something to do with the gift you inherited from your mother as well?" Shinichi couldn't help but ask, casting a rather assessing glance down towards the young man who was easily keeping pace with them. He had heard that the training the one selected to become the personal knight of the heir to the Naniwan throne received some fairly harsh training, but Hattori Heiji was more than he would have expected. Perhaps it was just his mother's blood, or perhaps it was something more.

Either way, at the very least, he didn't think that Heiji had outright lied to them yet. He couldn't shake the feeling that there were some things that he definitely _wasn't_ telling them yet- but no real lies had yet crossed his lips.

"Well, pretty much." Heiji admitted, glancing somewhat away from him, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly in spite of himself. The _reasons_ for that were more than he was willing to admit to someone he had basically just met. "Speakin' of my mother though, I will tell ya one thing, Kudo," turning back to look up towards him, his eyes narrowed, locking with his for only a moment- before just as quickly breaking the eye contact. "...not even my mother was able ta see this comin'. There wasn't nary a peep from her about it, not even the mornin' of."

"Are your mother's prophecies really that good?" Ran asked.

"She's Naniwa's prophet, after all." Heiji said easily. "She's almost always right. An' yet, she didn't see a thing comin'. She couldn't even _defend_ herself against the curse, much less protect anyone else." Shaking his head, his eyes narrowed, finding a hand straying up towards the charm that he had tucked underneath his clothes. "I don't know why only Kazuha an' I weren't affected by it in the end. No matter how much I try an' turn it over in my mind, I can't think of a reason as ta why it happened, or why we were the only ones spared from it."

"I see." Closing his eyes for a moment, Shinichi took in and let out a long breath. "I'm sorry, Hattori. I must be bringing up some bad memories for you."

"What, don't worry about it." Heiji said easily, flashing him another grin, his mood lifting as if a pall had never fallen over it in the first place. "But are the two of ya sure? There could be danger involved in gettin' involved with me. Just because I saw somethin' like the two of ya bein' able ta help me find what I'm lookin' fer in my dream, doesn't mean that ya actually have ta go along with it. Like ya said, with that witch out there, plannin' on doin' who knows what, it's important that ya find both yer princess and yer royal treasure alike, an' take 'em back ta somewhere they'll be safe, right? That should be yer first priority."

"I see no reason why we can't do both that, and assist you in searching for your princess at the same time." Shinichi said simply. "Besides, as the son of the royal family's personal adviser, I can't just ignore the fact that there might be a chance that another country's princess might be lost somewhere within our kingdom right now, in a dangerous situation. Still, I do wonder why she hasn't attempted to contact us or Ekoda's royal family for aid. We'd be more than happy to do what we could, even if that only meant providing shelter."

"I can't really say." Shaking his head, Heiji placed a hand on his chin, mulling it over. "I've given it some thought, but I know that if she had been able ta speak with someone with any actual power ta _do_ anythin' about the matter, the situation goin' on in Naniwa would be more widely known, yet I haven't heard anythin' like that. The only thing I can think of is that she doesn't want to get anyone else involved herself, unless she knows that they'll be able ta help. Or maybe she doesn't know how ta approach a bunch of foreign royals that she's never met."

"Well, we _did_ flee the country without even a change of clothes, so it's possible that nobody will listen to her." He mused. "I guess our country's isolation is backfirin' on us. If I had known somethin' like this was goin' ta happen, I wouldn't have helped her sneak out of so many formal functions."

"Are you sure that's the sort of thing a knight should be doing?" Shinichi couldn't help but ask, casting a brief glance over towards Ran, just making out the faint laugh that escaped her lips. Although the air was still a bit tense, the sound of it lightened the mood between the three of them a bit, and he was grateful for it. Whatever it was that Hattori Heiji was still keeping from them, it wasn't nearly enough to turn him away from them- not when it was clear that both he and his princess alike required assistance.

"Well, maybe not a _knight_ , no," Heiji said, flashing another bright smile, this one stronger than the others. "...but helpin' yer friend escape from stuffy, unpleasant events is basically the job description fer a childhood friend. Ya gonna tell me that ya never helped yer own princess weasel out of some unwanted royal duties, Neechan?"

"I... can't really deny that, I suppose." Ran trailed off a little, a slightly sheepish look crossing her face. He was right on the mark, and the amused expression that Shinichi sent her way really didn't help matters much- especially not when he was almost always the one tasked with _finding_ them. "Although it wasn't so much as I helped Sonoko, as much as she just dragged me along with her. Not that I really minded, though."

"Princesses really are a handful, aren't they?" Heiji mused, letting out something of a laugh. Okay, so he had ended up dragging Kazuha on a number of misadventures himself- and had always gotten an earful for it, but it wasn't like she was free of such things herself, either! "Hopefully my handful is doin' just fine out there on her own. She's never gone any further than Lamia before, so I can't help but worry a little, even if I _do_ think she's still safe an' sound."

"Well, as long as she has more common sense than _our_ wayward princess, she'll probably be fine." Shinichi observed, a tight frown crossing his face. "Ekoda and Beika are generally speaking, fairly safe countries. As long as no one recognizes her and gets it into their heads that it's a good idea to kidnap traveling royalty, she'll probably be fine."

Unless the witch caught up with her- but there was no need to say what he was sure they were all thinking out loud. As confident as Heiji seemed to be that Kazuha was alright, he didn't miss the glimmer of concern that had surfaced in his eyes even as he was trying to reassure them. Perhaps the one he was trying to convince the most was himself- judging from the bags underneath his eyes, it wouldn't appear as if he had gotten much sleep recently.

"If somethin' like that happens, I think the one that would have ta be the most worried would be the _kidnappers_." Heiji snorted. "That idiot might be a princess, but if nothin' else, she's tough."  
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"That was an amazing sneeze, Kazuha-chan." Frowning a little, Sonoko peered over towards her fellow princess, a slight look of concern working it's way onto her face. "Are you catching a cold?"

"No, I don't think that's it." Kazuha told her, shaking her head. Placing a hand over where she had hidden her charm, she frowned a little, wondering if perhaps the reason for her sneezing spell was because someone was talking about her- perhaps it was even Heiji. Unless the situation had changed in Naniwa since they had left, there was no one else that she knew left awake who would be, provided such a silly superstition was really true. "I'm sure it's nothin' ta worry about, Sonoko-chan."

"Who knows, maybe your knight is asking around for you just the same?" Sera asked, turning back to look towards the pair riding behind her. She was grateful to find out that Kazuha was rather skilled at riding a horse- they were making a rather steady pace towards their goal. It probably wouldn't be all that long before they arrived in Ekoda's royal city, where they would use Sonoko's standing to see if they couldn't seek an audience with it's rumored detective prince.

"Well, I don't doubt that he is." Kazuha told her, giving her a small smile, before heaving a long sigh. "Provided that _idiot_ isn't gettin' distracted by pickin' fights with people. Most of the time he has good reason, but..."

"Heh, so he's that type of person?" Sonoko inquired, leaning over a bit closer to her, keeping a steady balance on her horse nevertheless, even as it snorted a little in response to the slight shifting of it's saddle. "He sounds pretty interesting, your knight! I'd like to meet him at least once."

"Well, I don't know about that..." Kazuha trailed off a little, trying to imagine exactly how a meeting between someone like Sonoko and Heiji would even go- what a mismatched pair. "But I hope that I do get ta see him soon. Maybe he's even come through here himself? Considerin' that I have no idea where it is that he got himself off ta in the first place, he might have very well ended up in Ekoda himself."

"Normally I'd say that staying in one place would be the best option if you're wanting someone to find you, but I guess part of your problem is that it would be bad if it were the wrong person who did so." Sera observed, slowing the pace of her own horse so that she could fall back in between the other two, their own moving to accommodate hers. She couldn't deny that she had great interest in Kazuha's story- after all, it wasn't as if the raven black witch didn't have anything to do with her own personal quest.

Perhaps fortune had finally smiled on her at last, leading two people in her path who seemed to bring with them promises of leads, better than that which she'd had previously. Perhaps if she helped Kazuha lift the curse on her own country, they might very well grant her access to Lamia as a reward- she was almost certain if she were able to make it to that country, she would learn something about her brother's fate. She was almost certain that the reason that he had disappeared in the first place was because of that witch- although she didn't doubt that he was still alive.

Still, while fortune might have finally smiled on her, but it was impossible to say if the fortune she had been blessed with was good or bad- it was possible that she might very well be walking into her doom. Still, she had long since already prepared for that from the moment that she had set out on her quest, against the wishes of her mother.

Giving her a rather grave nod of her head, Kazuha gripped her reins all the tighter. "That's what I can't help but worried about. I feel like if I don't keep movin', an' if I draw too much attention ta myself..." For a moment, images of those black, inky monsters chasing after the two of them, their golden eyes standing out against the darkness of the before dawn forest that they had been traveling through, were all that filled her head, and she had to fight them back. "I don't want ta risk drawin' the attention of that witch's familiars again. I don't know how they managed ta find us in the first place, but those things..."

"I've heard rumors about them before." Sera said, her expression growing stern. "Ravens and wolves alike, monsters that won't stop until they've either caught their prey, or are destroyed. Some even claim that they're shapeshifters, cursed people that the witch has captured and made her own."

And at that, Sera couldn't help but bite her tongue, not missing the way her words caused Kazuha to flinch. She had been wondering for awhile if perhaps she had heard the very same rumors that she had- but it would appear if that was the case. She couldn't help but feel a little regret for bringing a worry like that back up to the surface, bubbling up from the deep, dark place where it had been sealed up until now. She couldn't say that she didn't know how it felt- even though she knew her brother wasn't someone who would surrender to something like that easily, she couldn't deny it was a possibility.

"Well, I'm sure your knight is going to be fine." Sonoko broke in, flashing Kazuha a smile. "From what you've told me, he's really strong, after all! And besides, look!" Casting an arm outwards in front of them, her smile only grew all the brighter, almost matching the sunlight that glittered off the distant glided towers, rising out in the distance ahead of them. "We're almost to Ekoda's royal palace!"

"I'm sure if we ask Prince Hakuba about him, he can ask around and see if anyone has seen Hattori-kun themselves." Sonoko told her. "There's no way someone like the person you described wouldn't stand out, after all."

"Ah... that's true." Slowly nodding her head, Kazuha once more buried her fears, taking in and letting out a long breath, turning her attention towards the glittering towers of the distant palace. Just beyond them, over the slight hill, she could begin to make out the walls of the royal city, and felt something in her heart lighten at the sight of it. There was no point in letting her worries get to the point where they were all that were on her mind- she wouldn't accomplish anything that way. She had to keep faith that not Heiji was both alive, and safe.

"By the way, what's this Prince Hakuba supposed ta be like anyways?" Kazuha asked, glancing over at the other two. "I've never met him before. Actually, I've never actually met any other foreign royalty before, aside from Sonoko-chan here. Ya keep sayin' that he'll help us, but is he really that great of a guy?"

"Well, I don't know about his personality," Sera began, giving her something of a sheepish smile. "I've never met him before myself either. But he's famous around these parts for moonlighting as something of a detective, though I don't know if such rumors would have made it all the way out to Naniwa. Apparently he's helped solve quite a number of cases before, so he's apparently supposed to be quite clever. Since the rumors about the Moonlight Magician claim that he made his base in Ekoda when he was active in the past, I figured that the detective prince of the country would most likely know about any such things."

"Eh? A detective?" Kazuha blinked, before snorting, almost in spite of herself. "Ah, sorry. It's just that Heiji sometimes likes ta think of himself as one too. He's always wanderin' off ta help work on cases, an' won't listen ta anyone who tries ta keep him out of them. He's pretty stubborn, that one."

"So I've gathered." Sonoko couldn't help but note. "Come to think of it, we've got one in my country as well- a would be detective kid, that is."

"Do ya mean Kudo Shinichi?" Kazuha asked, judging from Sonoko's surprised expression that she was right on the mark. "Heiji's mentioned him once or twice. Apparently regards him as somethin' of a rival, even though he's never actually met the guy before. But you're right, Sera-chan," she noted, sparing her a glance, shaking her head, "...I don't think I've ever heard him mention anythin' about a Hakuba, or anythin' about a detective prince, either. Well, Ekoda is pretty distant from our country, after all. It's way faster ta reach it by ship than it is by horse in the first place, and even that takes about a month."

"Well, thankfully, we have Sonoko-chan here to help us." Sera said, glancing over towards her, casting her a smile- not missing the way she seemed to turn a faint shade of red as she did so. "Otherwise we would have to wait for him to respond to our request in the commoner's hall. You've met him before, right?"

"Once or twice before." Sonoko told them with a quick nod of her head. "Well, he can be a pretty stubborn person in his own right, but I think he'd agree to help us if he heard us out, especially if all we're doing is asking for information about rumors. Although to be honest, I really don't deal too well with the guy myself. Sure, he's handsome, but his personality is kind off..."

Trailing off a little, Sonoko couldn't help but remember that she had left the palace without saying a single word to anyone again- and that she hadn't actually mentioned this fact yet to either Sera nor Kazuha. Well, there was no doubt that Shinichi would have probably been called upon to look into the matter, so at the very least, she didn't think anyone would have suspected that she had been kidnapped or, anything like that. Besides, if she had told someone about what she was doing, they were sure to have stopped her! And where was the fun in _that_?

Besides, she never would have had the chance to meet Sera if she hadn't gone off on her own- and what a shame _that_ would have been!

"Well, let's just say the two of us don't always get along all that well." Sonoko admitted after a moment. "I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a shallow and frivolous girl. If you ask me, I just think he's way too uptight!" Blinking a little, suddenly realizing that her words might be taken the wrong way, she quickly let out an awkward laugh. "Of course, it's not as if I'm trying to imply that he wouldn't help us just because of that. If it's in regards to the royal treasure, as I said earlier, I'm certain he would be more than willing to tell us anything that he might know."

She _definitely_ wouldn't be telling _him_ her true motivation for her quest either. If he even suspected that much, he probably wouldn't tell her a single thing- and she couldn't allow that happen!

"He sounds like the exact opposite of Heiji." Kazuha couldn't help but observe. Somehow, she got the feeling that the two of them wouldn't get along all that well either. "But do you really think he's the one who stole Pandora? This _Moonlight Magician_ person."

"From the description that Sonoko gave of him, it's likely." Sera inclined her head. "Or at the very least, perhaps some kind of pupil that he's trained. There's a chance that it could be a copycat, but he would have to be a rather skilled one if that was the case. A direct disciple is probably more likely."

"Ah, but, speaking of which, there is something that I have to tell the two of you before we get there." Clearing her throat, Sonoko decided that it was probably for the best that she get this out of the way before it caused her more problems than it was worth. The last thing she wanted to do was for Hakuba to try and keep her shut up in his castle until Shinichi came to pick her up- even if she had been able to meet someone as wonderful Sera in the process, her quest wasn't over until she had a chance to court that handsome thief for herself!

"You see, when I left Beika Kingdom, I kind of, _might have_ , just possibly..." Trailing off a little, she averted her eyes a little, letting another awkward laugh escape from her. "...left without telling anyone where I was going, or that I was even leaving. In other words, I kind of ah..."

"... _ran away_."  
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It wasn't often that she had cause to snap back so quickly from her crystal ball, withdrawing her hands from it as if it were hot like fire. Taking a moment to collect herself, she held up a hand, silently informing Lucifer that she was very much alright, and that he needn't worry over her so. Closing her eyes and drawing in a long breath, Akako opened them as she let it out, feeling a sense of calm settle over her, even as the disturbing image she had been shown had seemed to have all but burned itself behind her eyelids.

Placing a hand over her crystal ball once more, Akako tried to concentrate once more, hoping to peel back the veils of time, to glimpse what was to come once more- but this time, no image came. Letting a slight shudder run down her spine, she fought off such feelings, and instead turned sharply on her heel, striding towards the stairs that would lead her up to her humble abode.

"Come, Lucifer," Akako told him, sparing her familiar a glance, "...we need to make ready to travel ourselves. I don't believe the two of us can simply be passive participants in what is to come, not with that kind of possible future looming ahead of us."

Frankly, she had the bad feeling that something was about to begin from the very moment she had dragged that beast out of the river. Even when Kaito came to her doorstep, with news of Aoko's disappearance on his lips, she hadn't wanted to get directly involved in the matter herself- but if there was a chance that things could really end up as she had seen, then she couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

Her power might not be enough to stand up to the raven black witch, but she wasn't the only witch in the land, she knew. And though she had not checked the future, she felt that she needed not to- her best odds in averting such a catastrophe lay in the young man whose corpse she had seen in her vision, still clutching a shattered jewel that she did not recognize.

It certainly wasn't just because she was worried about Kuroba Kaito.


	7. The Detective Has His Suspicions (And the Ash Gray Witch Shares Them)

"Is something wrong, Hattori-kun?"

"Ah, no, it's nothin'!" Sparing a quick glance back towards Ran, Heiji quickly shook his head, flashing her what he could only hope wasn't a nervous grin. He must have been more out of it than he had thought, if he had let her sneak up that easily on him. "I was just thinkin' that there's a pretty nice moon out tonight, that's all."

"Ah, you're right!" Turning her gaze skyward, Ran couldn't help but feel a smile cross her face. "It really is lovely! I hear there's some places in Ekoda that have amazing views of the moon."

"Heh, so ya like that sort of thing, Neechan?" Heiji asked, feeling his grin turn somewhat more natural. Well, there's no need to be wound up about that sort of thing just yet. "There's some nice places in Naniwa ta gaze at the moon too, if yer into that sort of thing. The prophetess' room in the palace is set to align with the moon at it's peek. It's supposed ta help with clearin' the veils of the future or somethin' like that. It's really quite the sight, I wish I could show it ta ya."

"It sounds lovely." Ran said, turning her attention away from the silvery moon, focusing back on Heiji. That slightly nostalgic, but somewhat troubled look in his eyes- he really did miss his home country, didn't he? Not that she could blame him- she would miss Beika just as much if she were forced to flee from it so suddenly. "But are you fine with camping out, Hattori-kun? After all, you've been walking all day, I can't help but imagine that you might want to perhaps sleep in a proper bed."

"Ah, no, that's fine." Heiji said quickly, hurriedly turning down her offer. "Campin' is just fine fer me. I really don't mind roughin' it that much, I'm pretty used ta it even. Rather, I'm surprised that _Kudo_ has no problem with it. He's a noble, isn't he?"

"I can hear you, you know." Shinichi noted, sparing a glance up towards Heiji, a slightly sour expression on his face. It was only when they started to settle down for camp that he fully came to understand that having Heiji with them now meant he wouldn't be able to spend any further time alone with Ran- which was both a good and a bad thing, really. "I'm not sure what kind of impression it is that you have of nobles, Hattori, but I have no problems with spending a night sleeping underneath the stars."

"Ya put it so romantically." Heiji couldn't help but note, quirking an eyebrow. "Are ya sure that you an' this Neechan here aren't really elopin'? Ya can tell me if ya are, I'm pretty good at keepin' secrets."

"We're _not_." Shinichi grumbled, feeding another stick into the fire, before shooting him a dirty look. That wide grin on his face really didn't help matters- honestly, he couldn't tell if he was taking his own situation seriously or not. Although he still had plenty of questions left for this Hattori Heiji, one thing at least was for sure- that he had quite the personality. "In the first place, we're not like that."

Even if it would be kind of nice, some small part of him couldn't help but think.

"So ya say." Heiji said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "So ya really think this prince or whatever will really be able ta help ya find yer own wayward princess? Ya say he's a detective, but I've never heard anythin' about him before. Or well," rethinking his own words, he titled his head slightly in thought. "...of course I've heard about Ekoda's prince before, just not in that context."

Biting back a comment that he had never heard anything about a _detective knight_ before either, Shinichi instead merely settled for nodding his head. "He should be able to help us. If Sonoko's really seeking out information about the Moonlight Magician, Hakuba's the most logical place to start from, since he's the prince of the country he was rumored to have his base in, in the past."

" _Heeh_." Taking in his words, Heiji couldn't help but shake his head. "Still, ta let some flashy thief in a white cape run off with yer kingdom's precious treasure, and what's more ta let yer kingdom's princess run off after him with some unknown bodyguard... yer guards aren't really all that good at their jobs, are they?"

"They're plenty good!" It was Ran who protested Heiji's statement before he got the chance, much to Shinichi's surprise, puffing out her cheeks a little. Well, considering her father was in charge of helping train them these days, he couldn't blame her. "You weren't there, Hattori-kun, so you just don't know how hard they worked to keep the jewel safe. It's just that the Moonlight Magician is really that good!"

"He's legendary, after all." Shinichi couldn't help but note, finally satisfied with the fire. Rising to his feet, he brushed off his pants a bit, before he joined the other two. "Although I doubt he's ever done any heists in Naniwa. Still, I imagine even your father would have some trouble with him."

"Yeah, I've never heard of the guy before. Well, I don't know about my old man havin' trouble with him though." Heiji said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "But if ya say he's really that good, I guess I'll just take yer word fer it, Kudo. What do ya think he wanted it fer anyways, though? Pandora, I mean. There's gotta be a reason why he took such a big gamble in order ta steal it in the first place."

"If we knew that much, it would make our search for him that much easier." Shinichi couldn't help but note, letting out a long sigh. That was something he was still trying to figure out- it didn't quite match with the thefts of the past, not that he remembered, at least. "I should have known that Sonoko would have tried something foolish like this though, just from the look on her face after she ran into him. If I could have just stopped her, I wouldn't have to deal with this right now."

"Don't say it like that, Shinichi." There was a slightly scolding tone to Ran's voice, her expression somewhat cross. "I'm sure Sonoko's just thinking of bringing the royal treasure back home."

"No, she's almost definitely _not_ thinking about that." Shinichi said shortly, a rather dry expression on his face. "Right now, her head's probably just filled with thoughts about trying to sweep a handsome thief off of his feet, and little else. That's the way she's always been, after all."

"Yer princess sounds like quite the character." Heiji couldn't help but note, having to fight back a snort. Running away from home in order to chase after a thief who apparently made off not only with the royal treasure, but also her heart- what a story! "It must be troublesome, lookin' after someone like that."

"Geez, both of you are being unfair to Sonoko." Ran noted, her expression only growing more cross as she glanced between them, planting her hands on her hips. "You've never even met her, Hattori-kun. You really shouldn't be speaking of her that way. She's a good girl, really!"

"One can be a good person an' a handful at the same time. They're not mutually exclusive." Heiji simply said, flashing her a quick grin. "Take Kazuha fer an example. That girl is always nosin' into business that she has nothin' ta do with, an' gettin' herself in trouble. An' who do ya think it is that has ta deal with most of the aftermath? Me, that's who!" Placing a hand on his chest for emphasis, a rather disgruntled expression flashed through his eyes. "I can't tell ya the number of injuries I've gotten just tryin' ta clean up after that troublesome princess alone. We almost fell off a cliff once, even."

"You say that, but it's obvious that you're worried about her." As her cross expression melted away into something of a sly smile, Ran couldn't help but take note of the way Heiji's expression shifted as she spoke. Shinichi might not have quite picked up on it yet, but there was a certain _something_ to Heiji whenever he spoke of his own missing princess. It was kind of cute, really.

"W-well, of course I am, _idiot_! It's my duty as her knight ta worry about her, after all!" Averting his gaze from her, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest, grateful that the darkness of the night concealed the redness of his own cheeks. "More importantly, Neechan, fer awhile now, yer homin' whistle there has been vibratin'. Shouldn't ya take care of that already?"

"Ah, you're right!" Glancing down towards the whistle in question, Ran quickly plucked it out from underneath her shirt, feeling it vibrate in her hand. The messenger bird that she had sent out must have been somewhere close by then. "Excuse me. I'll go call it right away."

"Then, I'll prepare the letter to send back with it." Shinichi said, heading back to where he had tied up his horse, searching for the writing materials he had tucked away in one of it's pouches. As he dug through it in search of them, he couldn't help but spare another glance back towards Heiji, unable to help but wonder how he knew that the whistle was vibrating in the first place. It really didn't make that much noise- it wasn't something that he had noticed himself.

Did he just have good hearing?

Blinking a little, Shinichi couldn't help but note that Heiji's gaze had once more turned skyward, fixing itself on the moon. Come to think of it, he had been doing that for awhile now. Frowning, he could just faintly make out Heiji's expression, illuminated by the light of the fire- a serious expression the likes of which he hadn't seen on his face before, as if he were troubled by something. And that way his hand strayed up to touch something he had hidden underneath his shirt- he had already caught him doing that several times today already.

What was it that he was hiding there? He might tell him if he asked, but he wasn't quite sure. At the very least, he was sure that was where the faint smell of herbs that clung to him was coming from.

Although he had told them his fair share of truths, he didn't doubt for one second that the young man who had unexpectedly joined up with them was just as full of lies. Lies, and secrets, words gone unspoken. While he didn't doubt his claims of being Hattori Heiji, royal knight of Naniwa, and personal guard of it's princess, there were plenty of other questions that he had about the young man.

Like how exactly he had survived his encounter with the familiars of the raven black witch. He had claimed that he had gotten injured while driving them away, but he hadn't given any further details about that thus far. And if the rumors that he had heard about that witch and her familiars were really true...

Well, there was at least one person who might hold the answers to that question. Their kingdom's own witch- one who he already knew full well was keeping plenty of secrets of her own.  
____________________________________________________________________

"Eh? The prince isn't here right now?"

"I'm afraid not, your highness." With an apologetic expression on his face, the servant who had greeted them upon their arrival could only shake his head, looking rather at a loss. "He left the palace a few days ago, to investigate a case. A disappearance, I believe. He gave us no indication of when he was coming back. I don't believe that he was aware that you were coming, Sonoko-sama."

Exchanging a glance between each other, Sonoko and Kazuha shared an expression of mutual disappointment. To think that they had come out all this way, only to find that the one they were looking for wasn't even here- they couldn't deny it was a bit disappointing. Sonoko could only imagine that Sera would deal with the news a little better than either of them- she had probably already thought of some alternative avenues to pursue by now.

She had opted to remain outside of the palace, while Kazuha accompanied Sonoko in. To her relief, they had accepted what she had confessed to them with relative ease- although her cheeks had turned a rather hot pink at the way Sera had burst into laughter at her confession, then admitted that she had pretty much expected that already. And to think that she had been so serious about it!

"Well, to be fair, I didn't quite know _I_ was coming here either." Sonoko couldn't help but say. Taking quick note of the slightly confused expression the servant's face, she hurriedly doubled back on her own words. "Ah, that is to say, I didn't have any kind of formal meeting arranged with the prince, so please lift your head! There's nothing to apologize for!"

It was her fault for showing up unannounced, after all. Given his reputation, it shouldn't be all that surprising that the prince was currently busy with a case. Judging from all the complaints that she heard from Ran, it always seemed as if Shinichi was working on one himself. It would seem that detectives, even novice ones barely even older than she, were a rather busy sort.

"I see." With a slight frown, the servant seemed to quickly accept her words. "Nevertheless, I must apologize to you, your highness, for coming all this way for nothing. At the very least, we can send word to the prince for you, if the matter is important. Of course, you and your servant are welcome to stay in the palace while you wait."

" _Servant_ -!" Kazuha began, almost bristling at the comment. It wasn't as if there was anything particularly insulting about being a servant, and given the way she was dressed, she couldn't blame him, but even so-! "Listen here, I'll have ya know I'm not any kind of servant!"

"Ah, do pardon me then!" More than a little startled at the outburst, the servant quickly blinked, glancing between the two young women. "I just assumed..."

"Okay, let's stop this here." Sonoko said, holding up a hand, letting out a long sigh. The last thing that she wanted was to have a fight start here, even though she could understand Kazuha's annoyance. "Sending word to the prince would be very helpful, but as for your offer of lodging, I will have to humbly refuse it this time. Are there any inns within the city's walls that you recommend? Of course, we need one with enough room in their stable for three horses. Somewhere a bit private, if possible."

"Of course, I understand." The young man quickly nodded his head. "In that case, I know of just the place for you, your highness. It's in a rather quiet part of the city, and it should suit all of your needs just fine. If you'll give me just a moment, I can write down the address and the directions from here for you."

"Very good. Please do so." Sonoko told him, giving him a quick nod of her head. "Please inform the prince that there is a _certain matter_ that we wish to inquire about. I'm sure he'll be able to gather from that what I mean. And do take care not to let word of my visit here spread around either."

Since the prince wasn't here, they would probably have to try asking around about the Moonlight Magician somewhere else. Since they had come out all this way, she wasn't about to turn around and leave this place empty handed!  
________________________________________________________________________

When she first read the lines written carefully down on parchment paper, she hoped that they contained only falsehoods. After reading them over again proved them no less real than the first time, she could feel her blood run cold, and her hands, which gripped the paper so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, began to slightly tremble.

"Miyano-sensei, are you alright?"

"Ah... yes." The sound of the children's voices blessedly broke her from her thoughts, and she quickly schooled her expression back into one of neutrality. This sort of thing wasn't something that she needed to show in front of her youngest pupils, the three of them staring up at her with concern vivid on their young faces. "It's nothing. However, I'm afraid that the three of you are going to have to do some self study today. Your teacher has things that she needs to take care of."

As the sound of their protests washed away a hint of the darkness that had risen within her, Miyano Shiho couldn't help but find herself giving them a small smile. They were good children, all three of them- and they didn't need to hear about anything like this. "Ah, and Yoshida-san, please do call Hondou-kun for me."

"Of course!" With a quick nod of her head, Ayumi readily agreed. "Should I tell him to hurry?"

"No, if you tell him to hurry, he'll probably only end up hurting himself again." Shiho told her after a moment. As the children left, she couldn't help but cast a fond smile towards them.

Of all the titles that she expected to hold, royal witch of Beika Kingdom had never been one of them. It was a far cry from the kind of life she had been living before she had arrived here, seeking shelter for just a night. She never would have expected that a kindly hand would have reached out to her and offered her a place to stay, which had become more than that since then- it felt as if perhaps this was a place where she could belong.

And more than anything, she didn't want to lose it. She had hoped that she had outrun the demons of her past, but if what this letter contained was really true, it would seem that she hadn't nearly run far enough. It was true that Naniwa was a fair bit away from here, but it was still far too close for comfort. If the words contained within the letter really were true... and given the one that they had been penned by, she had no reason to doubt it.

If there was one thing that she knew about the royal advisor's son, Kudo Shinichi, it was that he was a reliable young man. If he believed them to be true, then most likely, the story that he had been told was true.

An entire kingdom, cursed to sleep, sealed off from the world. She felt as if she had once heard something like that before, a tale told to her on her older sister's knee, a story half forgotten. A witch's story, the kind not like to be recorded in any book in Beika's library. If she went to Lamia, she was sure to find it, but given what had happened just to it's borders, there was no telling what would happen if she went there now.

"Did you call for me, Miyano-sensei?"

Letting out a long breath, Shiho set down the missive that she had received for the moment, turning her attention towards the young man who had just entered her quarters. She had barely even heard him come in, so lost in thought was she. What she wouldn't discuss with her youngest pupils, she would be willingly to discuss with him- her formal apprentice.

"That I did." Shiho said finally, letting out a small sigh as she took notice of the small knot on his head- so he really had fallen over somewhere. "There's an important matter I need to discuss with you. I assume you have time to listen."

"Yes, of course!" With a quick nod of his head, Hondou Eisuke seemed to take notice of the rather serious expression on the face of his teacher. While the one who bore the title of the ash gray witch had a reputation for being stern, such a serious expression on her face was somewhat out of place, and caught his interest right away. "Did something happen, by any chance?"

"I wouldn't have called you if nothing had." Shiho said, picking up the letter and passing it over towards him. "I just received word from Kudo-kun about this matter. He sent it by messenger bird, so it must be rather urgent. I take it you haven't been so lax in your studies that you've never heard of Naniwa?"

"Of course!" Eisuke told her, reaching out to take the letter from her, not quite reading it yet. "I've been properly listening to all of your lessons, Miyano-sensei. They played quite an important role in ending the Great Witch's War in the past, so I remember. Besides that, they border the country my mother was born, and my older sister lived there for a little while before she found a position elsewhere."

In the back of her mind, Shiho couldn't help but think what a fortunate thing it was that his sister was no longer there. If even Naniwa's royal prophetess, who was famous for both the strength of her magic and the accuracy of her prophecies alike, couldn't stand up to spell, then the odds of someone who only possessed only one half of witch's blood probably wouldn't be able to resist.

At least, that would be the _ordinary_ way to think. Considering that said letter had gone on to detail that there were at least two people who had avoided falling to the curse, neither of whom bore full witch's blood, it would seem that common sense didn't entirely apply here. She would very much like to meet these two herself, this Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha, to try and see how it was that they ended up spared from the curse that had otherwise taken hold of the entire country.

Although, given the bloodline of the kingdom's princess, perhaps it wasn't something that entirely defied common sense after all. But as for her _knight_... that was a different matter.

"Is this true, Miyano-sensei?!" Looking up with wide eyes, made even wider by the roundness of his glasses, which worked to conceal the witch's ring that would have otherwise been clearly visible in his eyes, Eisuke's face took on a paler color than usual. "If it is, this is a really serious matter!"

"Kudo-kun wouldn't lie about something like this, so most likely true." Shiho said, taking the letter back from him, carefully folding it back up. "I intend to seek out an audience with the king and his advisor right away in regards to this matter. But before that, I have an important mission for you, Hondou-kun. But considering the stakes that this could involve, I want you to think _carefully_ first if you want to get involved with this matter at all."

On the surface, the witch's child who had become her apprentice didn't seem as if he held much promise at all. And while he was certainly clumsy, uncoordinated, and unlucky, he possessed quite a bit of potential when it came to spell casting, more than enough to impress her at times. She wouldn't have taken him on so seriously if he were anything less- although he was far better off here than where he was before.

Try as he might, he wasn't cut out to be a servant, and although they had been kind enough to take the then young child in at the request of his older sister, it was clear that the maids of the palace were starting to get rather frustrated with him. She had probably taken him in under her wing just in time, now that she thought about it.

"Of course I want to do something to help!" His answer was almost immediate- and in a way, exactly what she had expected from him. "I can't possibly just sit by and do nothing when something like this is going on. Whatever it is that you need me to do, Miyano-sensei, I'll do it!"

"In that case, what I want you to do is fairly simple." Shiho began. "Join Kudo-kun and the others with him on their quest. Given what they might be walking into, it would be for the best if they had a magic user at their side. With you there, you can serve as a more direct bridge between Kudo-kun and I as well. And..."

Trailing off, her brows furrowed together slightly. There had actually been two letters that she had received from Shinichi, tied to the leg of the messenger bird who even now, was sitting on the window, waiting to be sent out again. One was the letter that she had allowed Eisuke to read, and the other was one, no more than a scrap of paper, really, that she intended to keep to herself for the moment.

A short, concise letter, detailing a knight who had fought against the raven black witch's familiar, who had gotten injured, but had yet lived to tell the tale. And a single question- asking if the rumors about her familiars were just as true as the other tales about her.

"The royal knight traveling with them, Hattori Heiji." Shiho finally spoke again, a serious expression on her face. "I want you to keep a close eye on him, and gauge what sort of person he might be."

"Eh? The royal knight?" Eisuke blinked a little. "Is there something wrong with him?"

"I'm not sure." Shiho admitted after a moment, shaking her head. She would know for sure were she to meet him herself, but she would have no time in which to do such a thing. "But it's always wise to be wary of those who have fought the raven black witch's familiars and lived."

"Are the stories true, then?" Eisuke asked after a moment, almost seeming to hesitate. If she was implying what he thought she was, then... "About the curse?"

"I've seen it with my own eyes." Even now, even though a hundred years had passed since then, thinking about it made her breath catch in throat. Even though she was no longer the child she had been then, powerless to do anything about it with her own magic, it still haunted her. It was all she could do to run- but perhaps there was no place to run that was far enough to get away from _her_. "Humans that become twisted beasts underneath the light of the moon because of her magic, who lose all sense of reason and logic."

"But, if something like that were the case, I'm sure that Shinichi-san and Ran-san would notice!" Eisuke quickly protested.

"I'm sure they would." Shiho acknowledged, nodding her head. "The both of them are rather good judges of character, after all. That's why I suspect that there might be something more here. Still, I need you to do this for me as well, Hondou-kun."

"Then, I will." After a moment, Eisuke nodded his head. If someone who might bear that kind of curse was that close to Ran, there was no way he could just sit here! "Where are they now?"

"On their way to Ekoda's royal palace." Shiho told him. "They're using the path that runs through the countryside, rather than the forest road. I'll send them word that it's my intention for you to join them, so you should head out as soon as you are ready. Though she has not made any obvious moves since then, nevertheless, time is of the essence."

Especially if the one now by their sides might already be within the palm of her hand.

"Then, I'll return to my room and begin gathering my things right away!" Eisuke told her. With another quick nod of his head, he hurriedly dismissed himself, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. She couldn't help but let out a long sigh as he did so, wondering what it was going to take to cure him of that unfortunate clumsiness.

Once he was gone, she returned to her desk, setting her inkwell down in front of her, producing a piece of parchment paper from within the drawers. Even as she begun writing a reply to the young detective, she couldn't help but hope that the vague hunch that was shared between both her and that rather troublesome young man was wrong.

But she didn't think that it was.  
______________________________________________________________________

As he once more sensed the familiar pair of eyes on his back, Kaito couldn't help but wonder what it was that caused Akako to change her mind. She had seemed rather dead set on not getting any further involved with this than she already had when he left her, so it was quite unusual that he could sense her presence so well now. It would seem that Hakuba hadn't quite picked up on it just yet- but his senses had always been a bit more finely tailored to detecting that sort of thing to begin with.

Well, if there was one thing that he knew about Akako, it was that she probably wouldn't stay in hiding for very long. Whatever her reasons were for tracking them down, it probably wouldn't be long now before she let her presence be formally known. Finding them was probably a matter of ease for the witch- if only she could manage to track down Aoko with that much ease, he wouldn't have this problem right now.

It couldn't be helped, really. Their opponent was the raven black witch, after all. In order to find her, they would need someone with much stronger prophetic abilities than those of Akako. Off the top of his head, he could only think of one such witch- but putting aside the strange rumors that he had heard about the distant kingdom of Naniwa aside, it would take a month by boat just to reach the distant country from here.

Getting an audience with the royal family's prophetess once there? For someone like him, that would probably be next to impossible.

That said, it wasn't as if they weren't finally making some progress. While following the presumed path that the mysterious wolf had taken, they came across someone who claimed that they had seen it, around the same time as the old woman from his village had. They were on more or less the right path then- a path that was leading them out of Ekoda, and into the neighboring kingdom, Beika.

He couldn't say that the notion of returning to the country whose royal treasure he had just stolen didn't bother him a little, but if there was a chance he could pick up Aoko's trail here, it was more than worth it. She was the reason that he had done all of that, without her here, his actions would have been meaningless.

He couldn't help but wonder if that witch had some idea of what it was that he had done. Perhaps that was the reason that Aoko was now missing from her tower- a tower which now largely lay in ruins. If that was the case, then not only was there some kind of reason why the witch didn't want Aoko's curse broken, it also meant that with Pandora's powers, he really would be able to break the curse.

In a way, that was encouraging. Still, such knowledge was useless without the one whose curse he wanted to break here with him. The sooner he found her, the better. If she had been taken while he was gone, then there was a high chance that she was moved while she was still sleeping. If she suddenly woke up in a completely different place than before... he could only imagine that she would be worried.

"Hold on just a little longer, Aoko."

The words barely came out as a whisper- or so he thought, for apparently they were just loud enough to catch Hakuba's attention. Turning his head back to face him with a slight frown, the prince gave him something of an inquisitive look. "Did you say something, Kuroba-kun?"

"Ah, no..." Trailing off a little, flashing him something of a sheepish smile. Even as he did so, his gaze darted slightly ahead of him, taking notice of something that the prince clearly hadn't- he knew that it was only a matter of time. "I didn't say anything. More importantly, you really should be watching the road in front of you, Hakuba."

"In front of me...?" As his frown deepened slightly, Hakuba turned his head, suddenly understanding quite well what it was that Kaito meant. Pulling on his horse's reins just in time to stop before it trampled on the young woman who almost seemed to be waiting in the middle of the road, he felt his shoulders slump slightly, just barely feeling as if he had avoided disaster.

The young woman, on the other hand, didn't look the least bit bothered at all. Brushing a strand of red-black hair behind one ear, she fixed her gaze up at him, flashing him something of a charming smile- one that he caused him to feel something rather strange within his chest. He barely even took notice of the black cat that twined itself around her feet, almost seeming to faintly hiss at his own steed.

"Imagine running into you here, Kuroba-kun." Akako began lightly, finally shifting her gaze towards him. She couldn't say that she wasn't pleased with the fact that her charm apparently had some effect even on the prince of the land- even if that somehow only made it _all the more_ frustrating that it had no such hold on Kaito. "You have quite the companion with you as well, I see."

" _You're_ the one who told me to seek him out in the first place, Akako." Kaito retorted dryly, heaving a long sigh. He wasn't sure what game she was trying to play here, but he wasn't in the mood for it. Why was she here anyways? And prepared for travel, no less.

"Akako?" Blinking slightly at the sound of her name, bringing himself out of the slight stupor that the sight of the woman had brought him, Hakuba pulled his gaze away from her, glancing back at the young man behind him. "You mean to tell me this is the witch that you consulted? The one who lives at the edge of the forest?"

"That's right." Kaito said simply, quirking a brow. He couldn't decide if it were amusing or terrible that Hakuba seemed affected by the charm spell she had cast on herself, but he was leaning a bit more towards amusing. "That's her. Koizumi Akako, otherwise known as the crimson red witch. You should be careful, _prince,_ she's known to charm men right off of their feet."

"Well, you'll be happy to know that's not why I'm here today, Kuroba-kun. Tempting though it is, with such a handsome young man." Akako said simply, casting another smile towards Hakuba, as he once more turned his eyes back towards her. "I've given it some thought, and have decided that it would be wise for me to accompany you on your quest to find Nakamori-san."

"Oh, how generous of you." Kaito said, narrowing his eyes. That was strange in and of itself- Akako almost normally never offered to do _anything_ without asking for _some_ kind of price in turn. There had to be something going on here- and it was all he could do to resist the urge to lay his hand on the small pouch that he had tied to his belt. "Pray tell me what brings on such generosity, oh witch?"

"As a fellow witch, I can't helped but be concerned about the movements of _that one_." Akako said simply. There was no way that she was going to tell him that she had come out all this way because she had seen a dreadful vision of the future, one involving him. Besides, she really wasn't worried about him- she was just concerned about what the larger impacts of her vision might be. That was all.

"Is that so?" His skepticism clear in his voice, Kaito couldn't help but heave a long sigh. There was no way he was going to get rid of her- she could be rather stubborn. Turning his gaze towards Hakuba, his lips twisted in a tight frown, carefully studying the prince's profile. "Wasn't there something that you needed to say to her, Hakuba? It was all you were talking about awhile back, even."

"Ah, yes, now that you mention it." Clearing his throat, shaking off whatever kind of stupor it was that he was in, Hakuba turned a rather sharp gaze down towards her. "I don't believe there were any witches who applied to live in that area, Koizumi-san. Were you perhaps not aware of the law of the land?"

"I'm aware of it." Akako said simply, a coy smile on her face. She should have expected such a question from the prince of this kingdom- but to think that he really kept track of such things. "But my home is just on the border of Beika. I'm not living in Ekoda at all. Since all of my work is done out of my own home, there's no problem. If I recall correctly, Beika has no such laws."

"You could even check out the location of home, if you're that concerned about it." She finished. "Considering it would be half a day's ride from my home to the closest village in Beika, I see no problem with the fact that I frequent the village Kuroba-kun calls home either. Unless you intend for me to go so far out of my way just in order to buy food?"

"Certainly not." Hakuba said after a moment, shaking his head. He would have to remember to verify that statement later, to see if it was really true. Under the current circumstances, he had no time to investigate as much himself, even if he couldn't help but find it more than a little strange. Was there a reason why she had picked such a location to be her home? As charming as she was, he couldn't allow himself to lose sight of such questions.

"Then I'm glad that you understand, your highness." Akako said simply, lightly tugging at the edge of her skirt, giving him a curtsy. "But we really should not tarry here any longer. I hear that you are on the trail of a rather mysterious wolf, are you not? I've been asking my own questions in order to find the two of you."

"Like hell you did. You probably just used dowsing or something." Kaito grumbled, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Do you really intend on coming with us, Akako? Just so you know, we'll probably be camping more often than not. And you didn't even bring a horse with you!"

"I fully intend to, Kuroba-kun." Her smile turning somewhat icy as her gaze fixed once more on him, she leveled a rather warning gaze towards him. He wasn't going to shake him off that easily- she was here for his own good, after all, it would behoove him to not be so rude. "As for the matter of a horse, I don't suppose I could be so bold as to suggest you allow me to ride behind you, your highness."

"Well," Clearing his throat again, Hakuba once more paused to gather his thoughts. "I suppose that wouldn't be a problem, at the very least until you can obtain a horse of your own, Koizumi-san. What of your cat, though?"

"Cat?" Akako asked, blinking a little, before glancing down at her feet. "Ah, you mean my familiar. It's quite alright. Lucifer can ride with Kuroba-kun."

"Does he have to?" Kaito asked, clearly not thrilled at the idea. Letting out a long, disgruntled sigh, seeing he wasn't going to win this one either, he gripped his reins again, trotting his horse a few steps forward. "Fine, fine. But he had better behave!"

"Of course he will." Akako said simply, carefully scooping up the black cat, and placing him in front of Kaito, taking no small amount of amusement at his disgruntled expression. "Now then, your highness, if you'll let me up on your horse with you, I believe I might be able to assist you in tracking the wolf that you're looking for."

"Eh? You can find it with your magic, Akako?" Kaito asked, looking more than a little surprised. "Then, is it not really one of that witch's familiars after all?"

"I don't know." Simply shaking her head, a frown crossed Akako's face. "I can't say that for sure. At the very least, I can somewhat see it's path, though it's clearly not an ordinary creature, at the very least. I don't doubt that it has some kind of connection to that witch, though."

"Whatever the case, it did emerge from the forest shortly after Nakamori-san vanished." Hakuba noted, holding out a hand to assist Akako in getting on his horse. Thinking about it logically, she probably had some kind of charm cast about her, that caused him to feel this way- not that understanding that much did all that much good against it. He couldn't help but wonder how it was that Kaito was completely unaffected by it. "It's worth looking into."

"I agree." Akako said simply, closing her eyes, that vision of the future once more dancing underneath her closed lids. "But do take care to be careful. In some countries, wolves are viewed as bearers of ill fortune."

It certainly that she wasn't worried about the likes of Kuroba Kaito, but the world would only become more dull if a fool of his caliber disappeared. She couldn't have that.  
__________________________________________________________________

"As for asking around, I _do_ have a few ideas." With an easy grin, Sera's words were almost like music to Sonoko's ears- so they hadn't come all this way for nothing after all. "There was _another_ rumor that was going around in the Moonlight Magician's heyday. Although many of the items that were stolen were eventually returned to their owners, there were a few that were not. Based on some investigation done by the king himself at the time, it was deemed that the items that were not returned had already been stolen in the first place."

"So in other words, the ones who claimed they were the owners didn't actually own them at all?" Sonoko asked.

"That's pretty much it." Sera said, nodding her head. "Whether it was from unjust taxes, or cheating the real owners out of their possessions, one way or another, the items in question were all obtained by rather dubious means. It was said that the Moonlight Magician stole them in order to cast light on the activities of those who had taken them from who they truly belonged."

"So what yer sayin' is, that he must have had a way ta figure out who the stuff actually belonged ta, right?" Kazuha asked, a slight frown on her face. "But why did he steal the other stuff if he was just gonna give it back in the first place? Wouldn't that mean he'll give back Pandora after awhile on his own?"

"It's not impossible, but judging from the fact that this probably isn't the same Moonlight Magician, we can't say for sure." Sera said, shaking her head. "In the first place, the one of the past never stole such high profile items to begin with. The fact that this one decided to appear out of nowhere in order to steal it is still something that troubles me, to be honest."

"I'm sure he would return it on his own eventually, even if we weren't looking for him!" Sonoko said. "He definitely didn't seem to be a bad person to me!"

"Oh?" Sera couldn't help but quirk a brow, a slightly amused expression crossing her face. "It would seem as if the royal treasure isn't the only thing that he made off with, then."

"Ah, well that's..." Turning a light shade of red, Sonoko glanced down at her hands. "It's rare to meet someone who is that much of a gentleman these days! All the noble boys at court are always such a bother, looking at me like I'm nothing more than a quick path to the throne. Not that I intend to give my power over to a king in the first place!"

"Oh, that's a feelin' that I can understand." Kazuha noted, a quick grin on her face. "Well, usually Heiji ends up chasin' them away just by givin' them a glower, so at the very least, when he's around, I don't have ta deal much with that type."

"Princesses have their own worries, it would seem." Sera said, glancing between the two of them with a slight smile. "If it were me, I would hate dealing with something like that. Well, in the first place, I've never been interested in boys to begin with, so _marrying one_... that would definitely _never_ happen."

"Then, do you like girls, Sera-chan?" Sonoko asked, a curious look on her face. "You seem like you would be popular with them."

"I suppose you could say that." Sera noted, casting a smile over towards her. That curious expression on her face- it was rather cute, really. A slightly mischievous, stubborn princess wasn't bad, she decided. "Perhaps I should attempt to snatch back the heart that that thief has stolen from you?"

"Ah, well!" Knowing full well that her face was even redder than before, Sonoko let out a nervous laugh, not quite knowing what to say in response to that. "T-that might not be too bad, I suppose."

"If the two of ya are gonna start havin' a chat like that, I should probably go ahead an' excuse myself. I don't really care too much fer bein' an extra wheel." Kazuha couldn't help but note, an amused look crossing her face as she rose to her feet. It would seem that the next time her fellow princess teased her about her wayward knight, she would be able to have a few words to give her back in turn. "I've got ta ask around ta see if anyone's seen Heiji, after all."

"Ah, that's right." Sera blinked, glancing up towards her. "Then, Sonoko and I will stay here and discuss our next move. I hope you can find him, Toyama-san."

"Ah, yes!" Quickly nodding her head, Sonoko took in and let out a deep breath, her gaze darting towards Sera, even as she tried to keep it from doing so.

To think that she had set out on this quest in order to capture the heart of a thief, only to have her _own_ heart captured instead. Maybe it wouldn't be _so bad_ if they never managed to find the Moonlight Magician after all.

No, no! That wouldn't do! Regardless of circumstances, Suzuki Sonoko _always_ finished what she set out to do! One way or another, come hell or high water, she was going to find that thief!


	8. The Knight, the Crimson Red Witch, and Distrust

"Eh? There's someone comin' ta join us?"

"That's right. It was mentioned in the last message that was sent to us from the palace." Reaching into one of the pouches tied to her belt, Ran retrieved a short message from inside of it, passing it over towards Heiji. "Hondou Eisuke. He's the disciple of our palace's witch. I mentioned him before, didn't I?"

"Heh, so that's why we're just waitin' around here." Heiji noted, carefully taking the folded up note from her, scanning over it. Finding nothing much of interest other than what she had said, he gave it back. "But I don't recall ya mentionin' anythin' about this Hondou guy before."

"For the moment, Shinichi wants to make sure that Eisuke-kun has a chance to catch up with us." Ran noted, tucking the message back away. It was her habit, saving things like this. "He seems fairly certain that Sonoko is heading towards Ekoda's royal city right now, and that she'll probably stay put for awhile once she arrives there. In other words, we have time to catch up with her. All the more so if she's really seeking out help from Hakuba-kun, like he thinks she is."

After receiving a reply from the palace, Shinichi had sent the messenger bird on towards Ekoda's royal city, by way of the prince. In no uncertain terms, he informed him that if Sonoko were to show up there, that he should do whatever he could to keep her there until they arrived- and to not let her know his intentions. Of course, he had also made sure to indicate that Sonoko was in no danger, and was in the company of a bodyguard, but that she had also left the palace without explicit permission from her parents or the royal guard. Since they had worked together in the past on a few cases, he saw no reason as to why Hakuba would refuse his request.

Especially since he knew firsthand just how troublesome Sonoko could be at times.

"As for not mentioning him before... well, it's true that this is the first time I've mentioned him by name. But I have brought him up before." Ran noted, before raising a hand to her eyes, tapping the corner of her left. "You know, he's the other person that we know who has a witch's ring, the other boy. He came into the care of the palace thanks to his older sister, who needed someone to look after him while she traveled for work."

"Now that ya mention it..." Heiji trailed off a little, recalling that much. "A pair of half-witch siblings, huh? Ya don't see that too often." Even his mother, who loved children, had only ever had him. "So? Why's that fellow comin' here? It doesn't really seem like we need the extra help, especially since we have to waste time here fer him ta catch up with us. Well, not that yer princess is in any real danger, from the sound of it."

"That I can't answer." Ran admitted, turning her attention towards Shinichi, frowning a little. She did think it was a little bit odd herself- though she couldn't say that she minded Eisuke's company. Though clumsy, he could be fairly bright in his own regard, so he might be quite useful to have around. He was rather talented when it came to magic, after all. "You'd have to ask Shinichi about that. Perhaps he thinks there might be a bit more to this whole thing?"

"If he thought that, he wouldn't just be sittin' around here leisurely, waitin' fer someone ta catch up." Heiji noted, rubbing the back of his neck, turning his gaze on the person in question. If he had gotten in contact with a witch, then it was possible that he really did have doubts about him after all- not that he could blame him, since he was completely in the right to have them.

Still, it could be trouble, depending on what kind of guy this Hondou Eisuke was. If he really could pick something up from him... that wouldn't be good. He hadn't lied about what he had see in his dreams- he really did need them to find what he was looking for. If he could work with them, that would be for the best. If they found out about that...

After looking forward to one day having the chance to challenge Kudo Shinichi's wits, these really weren't the ideal circumstances that he wanted to meet him under. Even if he was the only one of the two to know of the other's existence as a detective- he was surprised that he knew as much as the name of the Naniwan princess' royal knight, but not what he did in his free time. It was almost a bit depressing when he thought about it that way. Though that too, he supposed, couldn't really be helped- that was what happened when you came from a fairly isolated country.

"It's okay. If it's Shinichi, I'm sure he knows what he's doing." Ran told him, a smile crossing her face. "After all, he's already solve countless cases. His instincts for that sort of thing are really good."

"So I've heard." Heiji remarked, shrugging his shoulders. "An'? What's this Hondou guy like? Other than a magic user, obviously, if he's bein' taught by a witch."

"If I had to put it in one word... clumsy, I guess." Ran noted. "But he's also reliable in his own way, and he's quite talented at magic. Wind magic, especially. If Shiho-san thinks there's a reason for him to join us, then I think it's best to follow what she says. Besides, given what you told us about your home country, it's possible that this might very well become something bigger."

"Because of Pandora's rumored abilities?" Closing his eyes, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest. "Curse breakin', in other words. Yer sayin' that ya think there's a chance that it's theft might be entwined with this all, huh?"

"No, not me." Ran told him, shaking her head. "Shinichi does. What do you think, Hattori-kun?" Turning to face him, she tilted her head a little, casting a curious gaze up towards him. "You're the one closest to that situation, after all, so I would think that you would know the best. Especially because of your mother."

"Or my mother's ability, more like." Heiji finished for her, opening his eyes, grinning broadly. "I don't know about this Moonlight Magician character, so I would be surprised if he snatched that fancy gem of yers fer reasons relating to our country. But well, with somethin' like that floatin' around in the open now, there's no tellin' how things might end up from here on out. There's plenty of people in this world who would do almost anythin' ta get their hands on somethin' like that, if the legends I've heard are true."

"Are you saying that you have no desire for it yourself, Hattori?" Having caught wind of their conversation, Shinichi had made his way back over towards them, carefully masking the true intentions behind his words. The fact that Shiho had not only agreed with his assessment, but had gone so far as to send her disciple out here- the chances that Hattori Heiji was more than he appeared to be were high.

If she had come out here herself, it would have confirmed them beyond a shadow of a doubt. But it appeared there was at least some room for doubt, which was the only reason he was willing to leave him alone with Ran, if only briefly.

"Well, I can't deny that." Heiji admitted freely, shrugging his shoulders. "If somethin' like that could really be used ta break the curse on my country, then by all means, I'd _love_ ta ask ya ta lend it ta me once this is over. I can't really claim that my reasons fer joinin' ya are all that altruistic, if that's what yer askin', Kudo, but I reckon ya figured that much out already."

"Well, although I suppose it all depends on if the legends are true or not." Heiji noted, his grin returning. "Even in Lamia, stories like that tend to get exaggerated over time. The fact that there's a lot of conflictin' accounts about that stone really doesn't help matters any. It's not like we can check their archives right now either. If Naniwa's in a bad fix, odds are that Lamia isn't doin' too well either."

"Well, if we get a request to borrow Pandora from the princess of Naniwa herself, I doubt Sonoko's father will refuse." Shinichi noted, carefully gauging the young man's reaction. It was true that he had been suspecting that was one of his possible ulterior motives- but given the way he had admitted to it so easily, perhaps there was a bit more to it. If he really was underneath the snare of the raven black witch, then there was no telling what his motives here really were.

Still, he couldn't help but feel like he had quite a bit of free will left for that- enough so that it cast his theory into doubt. Was it his own witch's blood? Or was it something else? Perhaps his theory was completely off the mark, and Heiji really had survived an encounter with that witch's familiars without falling to their curse. At this point, it was impossible to do anything further than make conjecture.

"In that case, I'll pass that message along ta Kazuha, if I ever manage ta find her." Heiji noted, pushing himself back up to his feet, away from the tree he had been leaning against. "Though if my vision isn't wrong, if I stick around with the two of ya fer long enough, we should eventually cross paths with her. An' they aren't wrong often."

"It's too bad that you can't see them freely, Hattori-kun." Ran remarked, a sympathetic look crossing her face. It was good that the subject was changing- she didn't like the slightly tense air that had appeared between the two of them just a second ago. As she thought, it really did appear as if Shinichi had some suspicions about Heiji.

He was a little odd, to be sure, but she didn't think he was a bad person.

"That's fer sure. But it can't be helped." Heiji said, shrugging his shoulders. "I've got no talent fer magic in the first place, it's ta be expected that a power like that is gonna be beyond my control. Sure can make fer some sleepless nights sometimes, though."

"I suppose that prophetic ability of yours didn't see the curse that befell your kingdom coming either, did it?" Shinichi asked, casting a slight glance Heiji's way, eyes narrowing slightly as the knight's locked with his own.

"No." Heiji told him. "I didn't see anythin'. If even my mother couldn't, there's no way that I would have been able ta see it. I guess the raven black witch is powerful enough ta prevent others from seein' her actions, even in the future."

Though even if he had been able to see it coming, he didn't know if there was anything that he could have done to prevent it. Now that it was like this, the only thing he could do was try and find Kazuha, wherever it was she had gone- and to find a way to fix his own current problem, before it became a real issue for him. That witch seemed to have some idea as how to properly fix it, but whether those words were true or not, he had no idea.

Still, he had no choice but to put his faith in them for now. They might be separated for the moment, but there was no way that he was ever going to leave Kazuha alone- no matter what it took.

Right now, the two of them only had the other left. Until he could get to the bottom of what had happened to Naniwa, and find a way to fix it, then he couldn't possibly give in here. Not to something as simple as a curse- no matter how powerful the witch was that had cast it.

* * *

It had been Sera's idea, that they should split up to cover more ground. She would escort Sonoko around the royal city in order to gain more information about the Moonlight Magician's past heists, and Kazuha would return to the palace, to inquire after what, exactly, it was that the prince was doing. She was also tasked with checking up on the status of the message that they had supposedly sent out to the prince- though to that end, there had apparently been no response.

Frankly, Kazuha didn't have any opposition to it- she could use this chance to ask some questions of her own, after all. Namely, asking if anyone here had seen Heiji.

She had her doubts that was the case, since she was quite certain that Heiji was probably asking around about her in the very same way- but it wasn't as if she had met _everyone_ at the palace the other day. She doubted that Heiji would go so far as to try and speak with any actual nobles, and most certainly, he wasn't likely to try and speak with the actual royalty that lived here- but he might have spoken to some of the servants somewhere. It was worth asking about, at the very least.

That said, the task that she had been sent her to do in the first place took priority- not only had they allowed her to travel with them in the first place, but they had also gone so far as to buy her a horse, and to pay for her lodging besides that. While Sonoko doubtlessly had plenty of money to her name, she had to find a way to pay them back once she finally returned Naniwa to the way it should be- all the more so since her fellow princess was ready to negotiate with her parents to allow her to attempt to use their kingdom's royal treasure in order to save her own.

Provided they could _find_ it, that is. And that was the really the trick.

Thankfully, it wasn't that hard to find someone who was willing to speak to her. Sonoko hadn't asked for many details about the prince's case the other day, but it didn't appear that they were entirely secret. There were servants more than willing to talk about it- especially because his client this time around had come to him in a rather unconventional way.

"He scaled the wall?"

"That's right." With a nod of her head, the maid that she was speaking with freely told her that much. "A rather unusual fellow, all told. Most people who want to ask the prince to solve a case for them come through the audience hall. It's common procedure, really. Though from the sound of it, he was from the outskirts, so perhaps he simply wasn't aware that it was that simple."

"What an unusual fellow indeed." Kazuha remarked, blinking a little. "I heard the other day that it was a missing persons case, but is there any chance that anyone knows where it was that he was headed, an' when he might come back?"

"I believe the word going around is that he headed to a small village on the outskirts of the country. There's a infamous forest down towards the southeast direction, that borders on Beika Kingdom. Just outside of it, there's a small village." The maid remarked. "As for when he is returning, I frankly cannot say. I suppose not until the case is solved."

"I see. That's too bad." Kazuha noted, letting out a long sigh. If that was the case, they might really not be able to ask the prince for his assistance- hopefully, Sonoko and Sera's inquiries would turn up a bit more information. "But thanks fer yer help anyways. Ah, by the way, is there any chance that ya've seen a young man around with an accent like mine? Dark skinned, with a witch's ring in his eyes?"

At the mention of the witch's ring, there was a brief flinch in the woman's eyes, though she said nothing. Pursuing her lips together, Kazuha's brows slightly furrowed, briefly recalling that even a thousand years after the fact, there was still some bad blood to be had in regards to witches in Ekoda.

"No, I haven't see anyone like that." The maid told her, shaking her head. "If you want to put in a request for the prince to help you find him, I'm sure that we can send him a message."

"Ah, no, that's fine. He seems quite busy now, after all." Kazuha said, shaking her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as another pair of palace guards passed by- there seemed to be quite a few wandering around, in fact. "By the way, I've been noticin' quite a few guards roamin' around since I got here- is somethin' goin' on?"

"I don't really know." The maid admitted, a tight frown on her face. "There was some sort of theft in the neighboring kingdom, in so far as I've heard it. It seems like the prince has requested their aid in finding the missing person that he's looking for right now, so they've been coming and going from the palace quite a bit lately."

"Is it really that serious of a case?" Kazuha asked, blinking a little. A prince who would deploy guard squadrons just to search for one missing person- he didn't sound like too bad of a guy, this Hakuba.

"I have no idea. That kind of information doesn't usually get passed down to us." The maid told her. "I only know that his client must really want them to be found, if he scaled a wall to ask after for the prince's help."

"So it would seem." Kazuha noted, watching as the pair of guard disappeared around the corner. "Well then, thanks fer yer help, miss. I think I can find my way out from here."

"Then, good luck. I hope you can find the person you're looking for." With an incline of her head, the maid excused herself. Watching her go, Kazuha drew in and let out a long breath, wondering who she should ask questions of next. Perhaps a member of the palace guard, since they seemed to be working with the prince to some degree- though perhaps it really was as she thought, that it would be best to give up on his assistance for now.

As she turned on her heel, deciding that her best avenue was to follow the two guards that she had spotted just a second ago, Kazuha paused, for a moment swearing that she had heard the sound of one of her companion's names on someone's lips. Deciding that it likely wasn't a coincidence, and that perhaps a reply to their message had come in, she headed in the direction she suspected it had come from.

Approaching the window, she peered down, catching sight of a faint fluttering of feathers beneath her. It would appear that a messenger bird had indeed arrived- but just as she turned on her heel, trying to recall how to get down to the bottom level of the palace, she caught a bit more of their conversation.

"Is the crown princess of Beika in residence at the moment?"

"I heard tell that she visited, but I believe she turned down the offer of accommodations. Why do you ask?"

"According to the messenger bird that just came in, Kudo Shinichi of Beika Kingdom is requesting that the prince try to politely detain the princess should she arrive here."

At the sound of that, Kazuha felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle upwards. Recalling Sonoko's own admission that she had fled from the palace without permission in order to begin her quest to locate Pandora, and recalling what she knew about this Kudo Shinichi person, it wasn't that hard to put two and two together.

"I don't know about the princess, but a young woman claiming to be one of her companions came by not even thirty minutes ago, asking if the prince had responded their message yet." She heard one of the men below her say, very quickly realizing that she was speaking of them. "Do you think perhaps we should detain her? She's likely somewhere in the palace, still."

That, Kazuha thought to herself, was _very much_ her cue to exit.

* * *

There were times, rare though they might be, that Kaito couldn't help but wonder what it was that he had done in a past life to deserve his current lot in life. As he sat on his horse, trying not to run afoul of the familiar cat that had curled up behind him, glowering at it's owner's back as she rode on the horse of the prince of his country, he decided that this was one of those rare times.

And there was no one to curse for this other than himself.

There was the raven black witch, of course- but somehow even casting a grumbling curse of annoyance in her direction didn't sound like the best idea. He had been the one who had turned to Akako for help, even though he couldn't have imagined that her help would send him in the direction of the prince, nor that she would decide to join them, for reasons he still couldn't understand. No doubt that there was something in this for Akako, as she rarely had any interest in doing things when they held no personal value for her.

At the very least, he didn't think she was aware he was in possession of Pandora yet. Perhaps she hadn't yet even heard that it had been stolen- if that was the case, it was in his best interest to keep it that way. No doubt that she knew the legends that surrounded it all too well, and likewise, that he was the first person who would come to her mind as a suspect.

Not only did he not want something so powerful to fall into her hands, he also didn't want to be exposed as a thief in front of Hakuba. Even if he had only ever committed this one theft, and he had every intention of bringing it back when he was done with it, he didn't think that he would be let off that easily for stealing another kingdom's royal treasure.

"Didn't you hear me, Kuroba-kun? Stop!"

Snapping out of his own thoughts, Kaito pulled the reins of his horse, ordering it to halt. Pausing to rub it's neck, and reassure it that nothing was wrong after such an abrupt stop, Kaito glanced back behind him, wondering when it was that he had passed the two of his traveling companions. Judging from the annoyed expression on Akako's face, she must have tried to call out to him before this, and he simply hadn't heard her, so absorbed in his own troubles as he had been.

"What is it, Akako?" Returning her irritated look with one of his own, Kaito locked eyes with her. "Don't tell me you have to go the bathroom?"

"Don't speak such nonsense, Kuroba-kun." Eyes narrowing slightly, her tone growing sharper, Akako otherwise did not give him the response that he so hoped for from her. "I called for you to stop because fortune tells me that we should be able to find something here."

"Here?" Casting a glance around him, a rather dubious expression crossed his face. "There's nothing here. Are you sure you haven't lost your talent for fortune telling?"

"Nonsense." Akako said simply, effortlessly sliding off of Hakuba's horse. "It's this way. Come, Lucifer." At her words, the familiar cat got up, pausing for a moment to stretch before it leapt off of Kaito's horse, quickly falling into step behind the witch it was contracted with.

" _What's_ this way?" Grumbling to himself, Kaito swung his legs off of his horse, watching as Hakuba did the same. "Are you sure this is really a good idea, your highness? Just awhile ago, you couldn't seem to stop talking about how you thought Akako was suspicious."

"Just awhile ago, you were the one defending her." Hakuba couldn't help but point out. "If we are going up against a witch, having another witch with us might be favorable. Besides, this will give me a chance to discern what kind of person this Koizumi Akako really is."

"Trouble." Kaito muttered underneath his breath, shoving his hands in his pockets. It was true enough that he had been defending her- but only because he didn't think Akako had ever done anything so wrong to warrant _royal_ punishment. That said, it wasn't like he fully trusted her himself- not because she was a witch, but because her personality was like, well, _that_.

"But I suppose you're right." Kaito admitted after a moment, keeping Akako's retreating back within his line of sight. "All the more so if our enemy's the raven black witch. That said, if we can avoid confronting her, that would be for the best. There must be a way to get Aoko back from her that would allow us to bypass meeting her entirely."

If worse came to worse, surely he could use Pandora's powers to protect them all- though in doing so, he would expose himself as the one who had stolen it, and reveal it's presence here not only to Akako, but someone _far_ more troublesome. Better than being dead though, turned to stone, or _worse_.

"Are you two boys done with your little chat?" Turning on her heel, Akako placed a hand on her hip, casting a sharp glance back towards them. It wasn't hard to guess what it was that they were discussing. "There's someone in that cabin who seems like they would be able to provide us with some sort of clue. That's what my fortune telling is informing me of, at the very least. I can't say what it is that it might be- things do tend to be rather clouded when they come to that witch."

The fact that she could see anything at all was credit to her own power, though she was loathe to brag about it in the same breath when speaking about that witch. Nothing good could come of that.

"Then, shall we see what it is that the owner of this cabin has to say?" Hakuba asked, a slight frown crossing his face as the somewhat ramshackle cabin crossed into his view. "Perhaps they have seen your missing princess, Kuroba-kun."

Simply giving Hakuba a curt nod, Kaito narrowed his eyes. He almost didn't want to voice his hopes out loud- for fear that his words would guarantee that they would turn out to be for naught. Still, as much as he held Akako at an arm's length in regards to trust, he knew full well how accurate her fortune telling usually was- if she said there was someone here who could help, she was probably correct.

Clearing his throat, Hakuba knocked sharply on the door of the rundown looking cabin. He couldn't help but wonder how it was that anyone could possibly live here- but he supposed he didn't quite understand the ways of the common folk. Casting a brief glance behind him, noticing the way that Akako hovered a bit away from the two, he didn't have long to dwell on it before he fixed his gaze once more back on the door, making out the sounds of someone opening it.

The man who came out must have been roughly thirty years older than him- and smelled a bit strongly of liqueur. Resisting the urge to crinkle his nose at his scent, Hakuba instead gave the man his best smile. "Pardon me for the disturbance, good sir, but-"

"If you're looking for a place to stay overnight, you're out of luck." The man noted, cutting him off, casting a rather annoyed look towards him. "Don't think a place like this would suit your need anyhow."

"Ah, no, it is not that." Hakuba said quickly, shaking his head. "We are actually looking for someone."

"Well, good news, cause you found someone." The man said, his frown not fading in spite of his rather jovial response. "So? Who is it that you're looking for exactly?"

"A girl." Kaito spoke up, deciding to step in before Hakuba could do anything to put his foot in his mouth. He didn't quite seem like he knew all that well how to deal with this type- and he did. "Around my age. A bird's nest of brown hair and blue eyes. Might be in the company of a pale skinned blonde, real looker."

"Blonde, huh?" The main said, arching his brows. "I don't know about a pale skinned one, but I did see a blonde awhile back, maybe around two, three days ago. Probably a witch, from the looks of her companion. Never in all my days have I ever seen a wolf that large. Thought it was going to be my end if it turned to look my way. That the lady you're looking for?"

Exchanging a glance between them, Kaito's brows furrowed. The description didn't quite match up to the one that he knew- and he doubted she would bother to do something like change her form somewhere this remote. "The woman you saw- did she have long hair, wavy? Of a pale color too, her hair."

"No, nothing like that." The man told him, shaking his head. "Real short hair, darker blonde. Spoke kinda funny. Didn't take much notice of me, thank goodness. I'm not real interested in getting entangled with any _witches_."

Dimly, Hakuba realized the reason why Akako had chosen to lurk in the background. "And you say that she had a rather large wolf with her? Can you describe this wolf to us, if it is not too much trouble? And perhaps anything you noticed about them, perhaps something that you overheard them say?"

"Yeah, yeah." Nodding his head, the man frowned, thinking back. "Couldn't forget that thing if I tried. All black, it was, though it's eyes- it's eyes were _real_ human looking. Swear the lady was talking to it- that's how you know she's a witch, you know? Didn't hear much of what they were saying, but it seemed like they were looking for something. Something to do with silver, didn't get too many details."

"Silver?" Kaito asked, casting a glance towards Hakuba, who simply shook his head. "Any chance you know in what direction they were heading?"

"Judging from the map they were looking at, it seems that they had plans to head further into Beika. Heard 'em mention something about heading back to Ekoda over yonder after that, like they had some business there or something." The man said, shrugging his shoulders. "Lady mentioned something about finding an old friend there, who's been poking his nose around amongst the thieves."

"The thieves?" Hakuba asked, his brows furrowing together, placing a hand on his chin in thought. In that case, perhaps they were seeking out Beika's thieves guild... but what could they want there? Were they somehow connected to the raven black witch?

The woman that the man had spotted didn't appear to be the raven black witch herself- but her choice of familiar was certainly noteworthy. The way he had heard it, most witches avoided using wolves and ravens as their familiars for that very reason- they didn't want to be associated with the dreaded witch of legend.

Perhaps there was a connection there. Considering it was the best lead they had so far, it was more than worth following up on.

"Yeah, the thieves." The man said, giving him a curt nod of his head. "So, either of you fellows interested in paying a man for his troubles? Seems like I told you lot some pretty helpful stuff."

"That will not be-" Hakuba began, before Kaito cut him off, shooting him a look.

"Sure, sure!" With a broad grin on his face, Kaito reached into his waist pouch, the one without Pandora, of course, and pulled out a single silver coin. He could spare this much, if it was to find Aoko. "Here you are, good sir. Genuine silver, you have my word on that."

"Appreciate it, good sir." Without any hesitation, the man snatched it from him, tucking it away in his own pocket. "Nice doing business with you both."

As the man retreated back into his home, shutting the door behind him, Hakuba frowned down at Kaito, a rather cross expression on his face. "You need not pay the man, Kuroba-kun. Information is free, after all."

"You'd be surprised how expensive information can be sometimes, _your highness_." Kaito noticed, quirking a brow. "One would think that of all people, a detective would know that. Though I suppose with your title, not many would dare asking you for payment for their services in such a way."

"Still-" Hakuba began, only to find himself cut off once more. He was growing rather tired of that.

"That's just how it is sometimes, Hakuba." Kaito told him, shrugging his shoulders. "More importantly, it looks as if you got some kind of idea from that discussion, which is more than I can say for myself. Care to share?"

"Indeed I did." Hakuba said, grateful that he was finally able to finish a sentence. "When one mentions thieves and Beika, the first thing that springs to mind is its thieves guild. Thankfully, I believe I have heard a rumor in the past that might lead us to its location."

"Well then," Kaito said, taking a few steps forward, hoping that the grimace that he had felt inside hadn't shown on his face. "...what are we waiting for? By all means, lead the way, your highness."

How it was that he fought the urge to rather dryly inform his companion that he was planning on doing that much anyways, Hakuba wasn't quite certain. He was starting to feel like this case would become quite the test of his patience.

Even if he _was_ getting more invested in it by the moment.

* * *

Thank goodness that they had arranged a meeting place prior to this, for if they had returned to the inn to regroup, things most likely would not have ended well for them. She had made a beeline for the inn as soon as she had left the palace, only to find that there were members of the palace guard already there. Not wanting to find out what would happen if she got caught here on her own, and not under the impression that they would believe her own claims of being a princess, she had instead chosen to seek out Sonoko and Sera.

"That's really just like him, though." Placing her hands on her hips, Sonoko heaved a long sigh. "What do we do now? If we can't return to the inn, we can't retrieve our belongings, nor our horses."

"A question indeed." Sera noted, placing a hand to her chin. "Would it really be so bad to wait for him though? This Kudo Shinichi person. You sound as if you know him quite well, after all, Sonoko-chan."

" _Regrettably_ , sometimes." Sonoko noted, arching a brow. "If I know Shinichi-kun, he'll ensure that I'm dragged back to the palace. Were Ran with him, then perhaps I could talk some reason into him, but that's a rather high gamble. Since I set out to do this, I want to see it through properly to the end!"

"But couldn't he help?" Kazuha asked, tilting her head. "This Kudo person. I've heard Heiji mention him once or twice before."

"No way!" Sonoko declared, folding her arms in front of her chest. "Like I said, if we let Shinichi-kun catch me, he'll only just send me back home. And doubtlessly then my parents and the palace guard alike will ensure that I won't have another chance to slip out on my own again."

"Besides," she continued, a trace of a smirk crossing her face, "...I can't say I don't like the idea of making that guy squirm. He deserves it, as far as I'm concerned. Now that I've come this far, there's no way I'm going to let him catch me!"

"Are you the princess, or the thief we're chasing, Sonoko-chan?" Sera couldn't help but ask, a hint of laughter escaping from her as she took note of the pink tint of Sonoko's cheeks. "Very well. You've made your position quite clear, your majesty. In that case, will you listen to the plan I have in mind? If all goes well, we should be able to not only reclaim our belongings and our horses, but we should be able to escape from the city."

"Are you sure? What about your questions?" Sonoko asked, glancing up towards Sera. "Ah, but of course, I trust any plan that you might have, Sera-chan!"

"It's fine." Sera noted, nodding her head. "I believe I picked up a small clue while we were asking questions earlier. I have a rough idea of where we need to head from here, so as long as you don't mind riding a bit hard for awhile, princesses, then I think we should be able to elude any pursuers."

"I don't mind." Kazuha said. "I doubt Heiji's been through here anyways."

"I suppose I can manage." Though she disliked the idea of having to ride hard once more, finding the sensation to be rather unpleasant, she supposed there was no choice. It wasn't as if she had any ideas of her own. "So? What's the plan, Sera-chan?"

"The plan, of course," with a bright smile on her face, Sera couldn't keep the twinkle of mischief out of her eyes, "...is to let them catch us."


	9. Those Who Bear Secrets

"I can at the very least load my own horse, you know!"

With a firm stomp of her foot, and a glower that would have sent a chill down any man's spine, just as Sera had predicted, the guards that had been sent to bring them back to the royal palace had been more than wiling to oblige what they perceived as nothing more than the selfishness of a stubborn princess. Though she had been somewhat skeptical of Sera's plan at first, it seemed as if it were working like a charm.

It had gained them access to their room at the inn, after all, and had given them a bit of space to gather up their belongings. Nobody protested to the idea of them bringing them with them- after all, it wasn't as if they were prisoners. Once she had made it crystal clear to the guards who had surrounded the inn that she had personally hired Sera herself- and that Kazuha was merely their traveling companion, they too, were cut some small degree of slack.

For the moment, it was best to keep Kazuha's title as the princess of Naniwa a secret- on the off chance that the raven black witch really was still looking for her.

Honestly, she didn't know what it was that Shinichi had said in his message, but if he was aware that she had hired a bodyguard, he could have at the very least _specified_ as such. The last thing she wanted was for Sera to be regarded as a kidnapper because of her own selfishness- which was also entirely the reason why she had decided to take the lead in their escape.

Well, perhaps the palace guards might get the wrong idea for awhile, regardless of who lead the charge, but at the very least, she trusted Shinichi to know her well enough to know there was no foul play involved in what was about to happen. And even if he didn't, she had very little doubt that Ran was probably with him right now, and she, if no one else, would recognize that this was something that she had done under her own power, even if she wasn't the one who had come up with the plan.

That said, she was a little annoyed to have their stay in Ekoda's royal city cut short so early- she couldn't say much for their prince, but the city, at the very least, she liked. Perhaps it was for the best that Hakuba wasn't here- otherwise it would have been that much harder to slip through his fingers. That said, detective prince or not, she was rather confident that Sera was the more clever of the two, and was bound to think of a way to work their way out of whatever plan to ensnare them he might think of.

"Ah, your highness, please allow me to-"

"I think not!" Sonoko said sharply, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head back, making certain that her displeasure was clear. "First you accuse my personal bodyguard and my friend of foul play, and then you intend to treat me as some weak little princess? My arms are not so weak that they'll snap just from carrying one bag."

"Ah, yes." Slinking away, back into the background once more, the Ekoda royal guard who had spoken to her looked thoroughly chastised- as he should be, honestly! It might have been their job, but they had been awfully rough with Sera and Kazuha alike when they had returned to the inn as a group, and that was something that she wouldn't stand for!

Besides, while she might not be as strong as Ran, she had packed and carried this saddlebag herself in the first place- she wouldn't have made it so heavy that she couldn't carry it! Did they think of her as a fool?

Probably, she inwardly grumbled, working to strap the bag to her horse. Kazuha and Sera had already gotten ready on top of their own, and with no small amount of grace, Sonoko quickly joined them, pausing to adjust their reins.

The first part of Sera's plan had gone off without a hitch- now came the second part. Of the two, it was the more tricky to pull off successfully, since when it came to knowing the city, the guards had a considerable advantage over them. They had gathered up as much intelligence as they could before returning to the inn, in the form of carefully studying a map, and determined the best and fastest escape route.

If there was one other advantage that they had, other than the element of surprise, it was that they would be on horseback, while guardsman escorting them would not be.

Once they escaped from the walls of the royal city, they would be largely home free- though it did mean plunging headlong into a forest into which nobody who lived here would be fool enough to enter. There were any number of those scattered about Ekoda- remnants of the Great Witch's War, said to still be cursed by the blood that was split there a thousand years ago. Great trees that had sprouted where witches had lost their lives, surrounding the fallen to protect them, even in death.

Sonoko had to admit, it was this part of the plan that she was apprehensive about- though it would allow them to get away, she didn't exactly like the idea of entering a cursed forest. Sera had simply laughed when she had admitted that much, and with a bright smile, had quickly reassured her that there was no such curse- and if there had been, it had long since faded. She herself had traveled through the same forest herself before, to no ill effect.

There was even a greater and larger forest along the border of Ekoda that was rumored to be cursed- and the villagers who lived on it's edge had long since stopped really caring about such rumors. Still, even so, she had her doubts- until Kazuha offered up her take on the rumors,

Curses, Kazuha had said, were not so malevolent that they would strike those whom the caster had no arguments with- and the long dead witches whose corpses might have brought forth the forests had no quarrels to be made with those they had never met. Since she had gleaned such knowledge from a witch herself, then it must be true, Sonoko supposed- and decided to put the faith in the words of those who likely knew far better than she in this situation.

"Now then." Now atop her horse, Sonoko cast a rather disdainful look down towards the guards that had gathered around them. "Are we simply going to sit around all day, or are you going to escort us to the royal palace?"

"Ah yes, of course, your highness! Right away!" One of the guardsman stammered out, quickly clearing his throat and relaying orders to his fellow guards. As the gates to the stables were opened, allowing their horses to trot out, the three women exchanged a silent glance between each of them, as if to reconfirm that they were all on the same page.

Drawing in a long breath, making sure her hands were secure on the reins of her horse, Sonoko swallowed her anxieties with it. As much she didn't care for running her horse at full tilt, as she had very recently found out, if she hesitated, they would be caught- and she couldn't imagine the guards would view them very favorably then, princess or not.

Gathering together her resolve, Sonoko exchanged another glance with the other two, this time silently confirming that she was ready when they were. When they got into position, Sera would signal them both. After that, Sonoko would take the lead, and they would break away from their guard escort.

In the back of her mind, she could almost hear the sound of Shinichi's complaints- that she had no reason to run away, and that she should have just sat and waited quietly for them to come and get her. After all, she was the one who had run away in the first place, and for such frivolous reasons at that- but to hell with that! Since she had set out to track down that thief, that was _exactly_ what she was going to do.

Besides, sometimes she got the impression from Shinichi that he believed she was a helpless girl, who couldn't do anything. Hakuba was even worse with that, really- he might be good looking, but that trait of his was something that she just couldn't stand. Like _hell_ she was going to allow herself to be captured by someone like that!

She couldn't claim that all of this didn't excite her a little either. It wasn't as if she thought her usual life back at the palace was boring, far from it- but there was something about this whole journey that was absolutely thrilling, in a way that she liked. Meeting new people, doing new things... maybe she wasn't quite the thrill seeker like her uncle was, but she didn't entirely hate this kind of thing either.

As a low whistle caught her ears, Sonoko couldn't help but smile a bit, gripping her reins all the tighter. It was anticipation that tingled in her, not fear- and as she met Sera's eyes, she knew that her own were doubtlessly shining with it. Drawing in a long breath, she raised her voice, catching the attention of all of those who were watching.

" _Forward!_ "

* * *

To be honest, he didn't quite know _what_ he was expecting from Hondou Eisuke.

Though he had never met her in person, he had heard of the ash gray witch before. Even without his mother's role, he probably would have heard of her, since her name wasn't exactly unknown within Lamia. From what he understood about her, she was a powerful witch, who came from a rather strong bloodline at that- so anyone that she would have taken on as an apprentice had to be something special.

On the other hand, from the way Ran had described him, somehow, Hondou Eisuke didn't sound as if he quite lived up to that. Clumsy was the word that she had used- and somehow, he had trouble seeing that famous witch he'd heard about from his mother taking on someone like that. Even if he was a rare male witch's child, he kind of sounded like he was almost more trouble than he was worth.

Still, she had sent him out here, so it would be wise if he didn't let his guard down around him. He didn't want to be exposed. Maybe Kudo and the others would understand- but maybe not. He knew full well himself that he was a high risk factor, and that there were probably no small number of people who would have simply sentenced him to death, to prevent the curse that had been planted in him from taking root.

He just had to be grateful that the witch who had pulled him out of the river wasn't one of those people. Rather, she had seemed almost amused by the idea of trying to tame the curse of such an infamous witch, though when he had told her that he was planning on going after her, she had given him quite the disapproving expression. It was a fool's errand that he was on, she said- and if he really was going to go on such a foolish quest, he should at the very least do what she asked of him before that.

Maybe it was a fool's errand- but it was one that he had to fulfill regardless. Like this, even if they did manage to break the curse on their homeland, he wouldn't be able to return there. It was taking it all he had in him to continue on as he was now, there was no way he would be able to live a normal life from now, not so long as the curse lingered. The only option was to break it- either that, or fall to it, in which case he doubted he'd have to worry about anything anymore.

But he'd rather not give up both his free will and his human form alike so easily.

Still... maybe he really didn't have anything to worry about in regards to this witch's apprentice after all. It would have been one thing if his horse had reacted to his presence badly, and had bucked it's rider in a panic, but that hadn't been what had happened at all. As Ran hurried to the side of the young man that he was guessing was Hondou Eisuke, Heiji could only rub the back of his neck, a deep frown crossing his face.

"Clumsy, huh?"

"He's good enough at riding horses." Shinichi chimed in, almost as if he were reading his mind. "It's just getting on and off of them that he has issues with. Mostly the getting off part."

"Yeah, I can kinda see that." Heiji noted, quirking a brow as Ran helped Eisuke to his feet, his gaze flickering over towards Shinichi. "So he does this kind of thing often then, I take it?"

"That and more." Shinichi noted, letting out something of a long sigh. "As far as magic goes, he actually is really skilled, but aside from that, well..."

"Yeah, I can kinda tell that much already too." Heiji noted, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Are ya sure it's really a good idea? Havin' this guy with us, I mean? Won't he just slow us down?"

"Says the guy not even _riding_ a horse." Shinichi couldn't help but note, before he shook his head. "It'll be fine. I've traveled with Eisuke before, and he can generally keep up pretty well. He can be quite useful in a pinch, actually."

"I get the feelin' that's somethin' I'm gonna need ta see ta actually believe." Heiji noted, nevertheless letting a sigh escape him. "Might as well go introduce myself. Never actually met another male witch's child before."

In a way, the idea that someone like this could actually could use magic, when he couldn't, kind of irritated him. That was probably rather petty of him- it couldn't be helped that he had been born with a key affinity that didn't work well with his personality. Being born with the ability to use witch's magic might grant him nearly infinite mana, but that was of no use when he couldn't invoke any of it to begin with.

Honestly, he wouldn't be having this problem if his mother had been a flame witch instead. It was because her key affinity was ice that he was having this problem! If he had been able to use magic, then maybe he wouldn't _be_ in this damn situation in the first place.

"Oh, Hattori-kun!" Perking up as he joined them, a smile spread out across Ran's face. "This is Hondou Eisuke, who I was telling you about earlier. This here is Hattori Heiji, Eisuke-kun."

"Yo. Nice ta finally meet ya." Holding out his hand, Heiji put his best smile on his face, hoping that he wouldn't think too much about his teeth. "Like Neechan here said, I'm Hattori Heiji. I've heard a thing or two about ya, but I guess ya heard that part too. It seems like the two of us have somethin' in common!"

"Ah, yes! I'm Hondou Eisuke!" With a quick nod of his head, Eisuke took his hand. "You're the royal knight that joined up with Ran-san and Kudo-san, aren't you? I heard about you from Miyano-sensei."

"Oh, did ya now?" Arching a brow, Heiji wondered if the guy was nervous- or if perhaps, this was just his overall personality. Somehow, he didn't look very reliable to him- but since the ash gray witch of all people had sent him out here, maybe he was wrong. Whatever the case, he didn't think he was acting, at the very least- not from the way he flinched as Heiji tightened his grip just so.

Sensing something of a tension between them, Ran very quickly decided it would be best to intervene. "Well then, since we've all met each other now, I suppose our next step should be to head towards the royal city, right?"

"I guess yer right." Releasing Eisuke's hand, Heiji tucked it back into his pocket, flashing her a wide grin. "Fer all we know, that princess of yers might have slipped away while we were waitin'. Provided she ever showed up there in the first place, that is."

"I doubt my hunch is incorrect, Hattori." Shinichi merely noted, casting a somewhat annoyed glance towards him. "If they're chasing after the Moonlight Magician, it only makes sense that they would follow him to where he was rumored to once operate out of. Given Hakuba's reputation, I don't doubt that they sought assistance from him, especially since word of Sonoko's flight haven't exactly spread."

"Ya say that, but ya don't know what kind of person that princess of yers is traveling with." Heiji noted, quirking a brow. "For all you know, she could have her own sources of information. Or perhaps she's the type who doesn't care too much fer royals."

"Well, one way or another, at the very least in Ekoda, we can request the prince's aid." Ran piped up, giving both of the boys a rather sharp look, silently telling them to save it already. "Since she's probably looking for that thief, like Shinichi said, the chances that she's here in this country where he did most of his heists in the past are rather high."

"Well, ya got a point there." Heiji admitted with a shrug, watching as both Ran and Shinichi mounted their horses. His gaze flickering back towards Eisuke, he watched with a slight frown as he seemed to struggle to mount his own, but seemed to manage after a moment of fuss.

Was this guy really alright?

"Eh? Don't you have a horse, Hattori-san?" Eisuke asked, as if suddenly only realizing that there had only been two other horses when he had arrived here. Glancing around as if searching for the missing third horse, for a moment, a trace of a frown crossed his face- one that Heiji just barely caught before it vanished. "I don't think we'll make very fast progress that way."

"Ya don't have ta worry about me." Heiji said simply, plastering a grin on his face. "Animals don't like me very much, ya see."

"Eh, is that so?" His frown deepening at his reply, Eisuke took a moment to take that information in. "But will it really be alright? Can you keep up with us like that? We're probably going to be hurrying to make up for lost time now."

"I don't want ta hear that from the source of the lost time himself." Heiji pointed out. "But ya don't have ta worry about me. I've gone under pretty intense trainin' since I was child, so I think I'll be more than able ta keep up with ya."

If anything, the trick would be to not accidentally outpace them. He was still getting used to everything, and sometimes the things he was capable of now surprised even him. Frankly, it wasn't a feeling that he much cared for, even if they could be a bit convenient.

"Come on, you two!" Glancing back at them, Ran's lips twisted in a frown. As she thought, Eisuke had probably been called out here for a reason other than just helping them- she got the feeling Shinichi was keeping something from her, and it wasn't a feeling that she liked. "We'll never get anywhere if you just keep sitting around there! The faster we can get Sonoko home, the better I'll feel!"

"Yes, yes, I'm comin', I'm comin'." Rubbing the back of his neck, Heiji's gaze flickered back towards Eisuke one more time, before he let out a sigh, deciding to put the matter aside for the moment. As long as he kept his guard, probably everything would be fine.

After all, the odds that he would be able to actually convince them that he was still in firm control of his own mind even after falling to the raven black witch's curse were rather slim. That Neechan, maybe... but Kudo and this new guy? He couldn't say.

And even if they did, they would doubtless have their guard raised up around him even more, and he couldn't have that. He might not be in the pocket of the raven black witch, but he couldn't honestly say he was completely their ally either- he had his own objective, and to that extent, he needed the ability to get close to them. He couldn't blame Shinichi for being suspicious of him, but if this was going to work out, he was going to have to do his best to absolve himself of that suspicion.

Which would be a lot easier to do, were he a better liar. Apparently the curse had done nothing to change _that_.

* * *

There were moments in his life where Kaito found himself wondering how it was that everything had lead up to the current moment. As he found himself riding behind the royal prince of his country, who was sharing his horse with a witch, on their way to the rumored secret base of Beika's thieves guild, he decided that this very much was one of those moments.

As if sensing his thoughts, Akako caught his gaze, glancing back towards him with a slightly amused smile. He was almost certain now that she had some other motive for accompanying them, and made a mental note to be careful around her. If she had somehow come to learn that Pandora was in possession, he could only imagine that she would do anything to obtain it.

For a witch, the power that the stone promised them would be almost too much to resist. He could only hope that the raven black witch bore no interest in it herself, and that he wasn't simply bringing it to her, an unwitting puppet of her power. Still, if someone like that really wanted it, she probably could have obtained it easily.

"Kuroba-kun, stop."

Snapping out of his thoughts at the sound of Hakuba's voice, Kaito brought his own horse to a stop. Catching the prince's gaze, his own eyes narrowed as he followed it, barely able to make out the shape of what appeared to be a old, rather rundown looking bar. Were it not for the horses tied up outside, he would have thought it abandoned.

"Is this really the place?" Kaito asked, his gaze flickering towards Hakuba.

"If my information correct, it should be." Hakuba told him. "Unfortunately, this is as far as I go, Kuroba-kun."

"I get it. There's no way a prince can enter a nest of thieves, right? Especially not one whose face is so well known." Kaito asked, simply letting out a small sigh, not liking the idea of the work being dumped on to him. Well, if things got bad in there, he at least had confidence that he would be able to get away.

"In that case, I'll come with you, Kuroba-kun." Brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Akako glanced back towards him, a trace of a smile on her face. "Thieves are generally a superstitious lot, after all. If you bring a witch with you, they probably will think twice about ganging up on you."

"Well thank you." Kaito said, not even masking the irritated tone on his voice. "But don't you think it wiser that someone remain behind to guard _his royal highness_ here?"

"I can assure you, I have no need of a guard, Kuroba-kun." Hakuba noted, a slight frown on his face as he watched Akako all but effortlessly dismount his horse. He had half a mind to protest her going, but something told him that wouldn't end up so well for him. "While it is true that thieves in general are a superstitious lot, I hear it is quite a different matter for their leader."

"I will keep that in mind." Akako noted simply. As if responding to a wordless command, her familiar leapt off of Kaito's saddle, returning to it's usual place by her side. "But I'm quite confident that if needed, Kuroba-kun will happily protect me."

"Really? I was hoping you'd protect _me_ , Akako." Kaito merely noted, a hint of a grin flashing on his face at the way she narrowed her eyes. "In that case, Hakuba, you should wait here. That said, if you see the two of us leaving the place in a hurry, you should probably run."

"I will keep that in mind." Hakuba noted. "But _do_ try and not rile up their tempers."

"Yes, yes! You can trust me, _your royal highness~_!"

* * *

Well, well. It would seem as if they would have relocate their base of operations after all. They seemed to be getting quite the fair number of guests lately, even if one of them had been one he had invited in himself. There had been one other visitor besides them, but someone like that, he had declined to see right from the start.

If there was one thing that he had learned over the course of his life, it was that there were very rarely any coincidences. Whatever brought this pair of strangers to the guild probably was somehow connected to their previous pair of guests- as well as the stray princess that he had taken in for the span of an afternoon. Still, he must say this was quite the interesting pair as well.

First it was a runaway princess and her bodyguard. Next, it was a princess on the run from something. And this time, it was a young man and a witch. No... with a slight frown on his face, Amuro's brows furrowed together in thought. Perhaps there was something about that that was a bit off.

"Welcome. Might I help the two of you?" Barely glancing up from the glass that he was cleaning, Amuro nevertheless kept a close eye on their movements. Not knowing her abilities nor her title, he was naturally concerned about the witch- but there was something about the way this young man moved that informed him that he wasn't just your average person either. He was wary, closely watching his surroundings, all without giving too much away. If he hadn't been looking closely, he might not have even noticed.

Perhaps someone in the same line of work, then.

"You might." Kaito said after a moment, for the time being, trying to keep his air friendly. He might appear as one, but he could tell that this guy probably wasn't just any mere bartender. "We're looking for someone."

"As have many, recently." Amuro noted, not missing the brief way that the young man's brow furrowed. "Though if you're looking for someone, I'm afraid that you're going to need to give me a bit more to work off of. Quite a few people pass through here, after all."

"Sounds like a popular place." Kaito observed, a slight smirk on his face. As he thought, this guy wasn't just a hired hand- he probably had some kind of connection to the upper ranks of the guild. "It's a woman that we're looking for. She's probably the sort to stand out, so I don't think you would have missed her if she's been here."

"A woman, is it?" Amuro asked. "Certainly there have been a fair number of those who have come through her lately. I'm not the type to forget the face of a visitor."

"That's good, then." Kaito said. It was hard to miss the way that all eyes had fallen upon them, and the way the conversation that had still been lingering right after they had entered had come to a halt. Probably if this man so much as gave the word, or if they tried anything funny, they would both find themselves on the wrong end of a blade.

"We're looking for a blonde woman." It was Akako who spoke up, taking a step forward. If she didn't miss her guess, this man had some kind of ward on him- strong enough to block out her charm. "One who hails from shores distant from this one."

"Even further past those of your own country, I take it." Amuro noted, setting down the glass he was cleaning with a placid smile. "There has been one, a woman like that. But I don't think she's entirely the woman that you're looking for."

"You speak as if you know who it is that we seek." Akako couldn't help but observe, arching her brows. "Can you read the winds of fortune yourself, barkeep?"

"You could say that I might be able to do as such." Amuro noted. "For a witch as yourself to be asking of a woman with blonde hair, hailing from afar... I can only think of one person, really. There have been rumors lately, that she's begun to cause a bit of trouble again."

"And I guess you'd hear all sorts of rumors, in a place like this." Kaito couldn't help but note, allowing his gaze to drift around the room for a moment. As he thought, it wouldn't be easy to get out of here without a fight if things turned sour. Best not to let it, then. "So? Care to fill us in on some of those rumors?"

"That, I have no problem with." Amuro said simply. "I'm certain that you've both heard of the kingdom of Naniwa, have you not?"

Judging from the way the young witch narrowed her eyes, it would appear that she already had some idea of what he spoke of. As for her companion... judging from his expression, he did not.

"Rumor has it that the entire country has fallen subject to a curse." Amuro told them. "Those who might want to enter find it's borders sealed off, not by any human force, but by a barrier of thorns, the likes of which will not part of anyone. I've seen that much for myself. And according to the same rumor as well, the kingdom's princess and her royal knight managed to flee before their country was sealed off from the rest of the world."

It would really seem as if the witch knew quite a fair bit about this already, as he thought. That was rather interesting- after all, the latter part of what he had said was hardly common knowledge. Did she perhaps have some kind of connection to one of them?

"The entire country?" Kaito asked, arching a brow. "What kind of curse, do you know?"

"A sleeping curse, it would seem." Amuro told him. Though he tried to mask his reaction well, he could just faintly make it out- the way something had clicked for him in that instant. "Quite interesting, is it not?"

"Quite interesting indeed." Akako spoke up, putting aside her current line of thought. The fact that this man knew about those two... had one of them come by here already? "Where did you come by such information?"

"As I said, rumors have a way of finding this place." Amuro told her, a smile on his face that made it clear that he would not provide her with any further details than that. "Beyond what I told you, I know not much more. But as for the woman you seek... if someone like that came here, do you really think any of us would still be here?"

"That's true." Kaito admitted. "Unless of course, this is a trap."

"Ah, there is that possibility." Amuro noted. "But I can assure you, this is no trap."

"And are a thieves words meant to be taken at face value?" Akako asked, a skeptical look on her face.

"Are those of a witch's?" Amuro shot back, his smile only growing at the sharp way her eyes narrowed. It seemed as if he'd struck a bit of nerve there.

"You said that there was a blonde woman of foreign descent who came here." Kaito interjected, all but sensing the anger that was rolling out of Akako. They wanted to get out of here without a fight, after all. "She may still be related to what we're looking into. Is there any chance you might know who she is, and which way that she went?"

"I know well, to my regret." Amuro said simply. "She is not the witch you're searching for, but she is a witch nonetheless. Perhaps this one," and his gaze flickered back in Akako's direction at that, "...has even heard of her."

"I might have." Akako admitted. "It's not often that foreign born witches come to our shores, so they do tend to stand out. There's not many of them left."

"This witch, was she in the company of a wolf?" Kaito asked, narrowing his eyes. For a moment, something had flashed through the blonde man's eyes- but it was too quick for him to pick up on what, exactly, it had been. "Though I doubt it was of a size to come in through your door, so I can't imagine she brought it in here with her."

"If she was in the company of a wolf, I would have liked to meet it." Amuro said simply, not letting the smile on his face waver. "But I saw no such thing. But if you seem to think that she might be, perhaps she is."

"It sounds as if you have a bit of history with her, this witch." Akako noted, pursing her lips together. Another foreign born witch, with blonde hair... it was true, she knew that description from somewhere, but from where...?

"Not so much with her, as with one of her friends." Amuro told her. "But we aren't here to discuss me, I'm afraid. As for what direction she headed in, I did not meet with her myself, but I am informed that she seemed to be searching for something herself. Or someone, perhaps."

"Someone?" Kaito asked, furrowing his brow. "Who might that be?"

"Who knows. She didn't give out specifics." Amuro said simply, shaking his head. "Last I heard, she seemed to believe that she would find it in your country, young man. The difference between them is slight, but yours is of Ekoda, and not Beika, is it not?"

"Yeah, you've got me there." Kaito admitted, letting out a small laugh. "I don't suppose you have any further information to spare in regards to who we're searching for, do you?"

"I'm afraid not." Amuro said, closing his eyes. "Only that if you seek her, you should be careful. Her eyes exist everywhere. Escaping from them is not an easy task."

"Is escaping from them the reason for your ward?" Akako asked. It was slight, but there was a tension that ran through him at her question- she knew she was right. "I see. Well, as you said, good sir, we're not here to ask questions about you."

"I'm glad that you seem to understand, young miss." Amuro said. "Now then, the price for information is information. Unless you pay up, we might have to think of another way for you to clear your debt with me."

"You sound quite confident that we can't escape from here." Kaito noted, even as he sensed the tension in the air rising around them. It was true, the odds weren't good. He'd rather avoid it, if he had to. "What kind of information do you desire?"

"Let's see..." Trailing off for a moment, Amuro glanced between the two, his gaze, for a moment, lingering on Akako. "I find it rather curious, young miss. They've been bothering me ever since you entered, really. Your eyes, that is."

From both the way that she stiffened at his words, and from the way her companion blinked, looking in her direction, it would appear that neither of them had expected such a question.

"Oh? And pray tell, what of my eyes bothers you?" Akako asked, trying to keep her voice level. "If you're going to say that they're so lovely that you've fallen for them, I would advise you to pick another line."

"No, it's not that. I'm afraid you're too young me, as it were." Amuro said simply. "You lack the ring, to be sure- but I find myself rather curious, as to why a witch's child would pose as a genuine witch."

Ah, he'd scratched something deep indeed there, Amuro thought, as he watched a look of anger and indignation alight the young woman's face- and an expression of befuddlement set over that of her companion.

"And? What makes you think I am anything other than a genuine witch?" Akako asked, her back stiffening, avoiding returning Kaito's gaze, which she could feel strongly on her. "As you said yourself, I lack the ring."

"Something like that can be concealed easily with magic." Amuro said simply. "Of which you have in abundance. Enough to nearly fool me."

"Akako, are you really-?"

"Nonsense." Akako snapped, sharply turning on her heel. "I don't see why I have to put up with the fool questions of some common thief, especially ones so off bas as this. If you require information as your payment, I am certain Kuroba-kun has more than enough to give you. I will be taking my leave."

"Oi, wait a second, Akako-!"

Unable to stop her, Kaito simply watched as she brushed passed the two men who had taken up a post at the front door, who allowed her to pass largely without a fuss. Narrowing his eyes, Kaito turned back on his heel, slamming a hand down on the counter. "Why did you say something like that to her?! Besides, there's no way that Akako's not a real witch!"

"You seem quite confident in that." Amuro couldn't help but note. "Are you close to her?"

" _Hah_?" Drawing back, Kaito merely folded his arms in front of his chest. "Close? To her? No way. I'd rather you just not make my journey with her any more difficult than it's already bound to be."

This one certainly wasn't the honest type, Amuro noted. Still...

"Well, perhaps my hunch was merely incorrect. Even _I_ make mistakes at times." He said finally. "But the exchange rate still applies."

Expression still set in that of a glower, Kaito nevertheless took a step back. It was best that he not try his luck at this point- for all he knew, Akako might have taken his horse, and left him with nothing to flee on.

What was that supposed to mean anyways? That she wasn't a real witch? They had never even met before, so how did he know the first thing about her?

"Fine." Kaito said finally. "What is it that you want to know?"

"What I want to know is simple." Amuro said. "I want to know the reason why anyone in their right mind would possibly chase after that witch."

"Who knows?" With a shrug of his shoulders, Kaito could only smirk. "Perhaps I'm not."


	10. Sleepless Night, For All

"Did something happen in there?"

The question was both fair and inevitable, given the obvious mood Akako was in, and yet, Kaito found himself not wanting to answer it. Least of all to someone like Hakuba, who had been so keen on chasing Akako out of the country as a whole not even that long ago. How quickly his tune had changed, lured in by her charms.

If she could even tame someone like the prince, then Akako's magic was very much not something to be underestimated. In terms of skill, there was no doubt that she was the real deal, but still... he couldn't help but think that that thief's words wouldn't bother her so much were there not some ring of truth to them.

Still, he'd never heard of anything like a witch's child pretending to be an actual witch before. If such a thing were true, then he could only wonder at the reason. While it was true that witch's children were persecuted, rather unfairly, he thought, in a country like Ekoda, they were still allowed to move around more freely, due to their half human heritage. Was there some kind of reason, then, that Akako needed to conceal her own?

He doubted it was just a simple matter of pride, though Akako had no shortage of that. While she might not be able to rival the likes of the raven black witch, no witch really could- so it wasn't as if her magic was lacking, not by any measure. If anything, the fact that she could use it so skillfully in spite of being only half a witch would be nothing short of impressive.

Not that he'd ever say that out loud.

Granted, there was the chance that the thief was either wrong, or had simply been lying to them- they were known to do such things. He himself, after all, was a liar- even though his lies served a good purpose. But if that was the case, what was the reason for the lie? Was it simply to sow discord between them? And if that was the case, what would the reason for it be?

It was possible that the raven black witch had truly already been there, and that they had walked themselves into a trap. Still, he didn't think it would be quite like her to do things in such a roundabout method. If she wanted to crush them, it would be a simple matter to do so- he wasn't about to lie to himself to the point where he couldn't admit that.

But if discord was what the thief sought, it was what he wouldn't get- not if he had any say in it. As much as he hated to admit it, he might very well need the both of them to find and rescue Aoko, so he couldn't very well afford to lose either of them.

Again, not that he would ever admit such a thing out loud, especially not to Akako, who would hang it over his head for the rest of their lives. Which might be very short indeed, had they already walked into some kind of trap.

"No, nothing." Kaito said simply, rising to his feet, making his way to Akako's side. She covered it well, but she almost seemed to flinch at his presence, something which he pretended not to notice. "So? Do you have any ideas yet as to who the witch was that visited them, Akako? You've been silent all this time, so I take it that you've been thinking on it."

Her shoulders seeming to ease at his question, Akako finally looked his way, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ears. If he had expected to see any vulnerability in her expression, then she had already chased such things away. One thing was quite clear to him- that she was not the kind of person who would show her weak side to just anyone.

That was something he'd known from the start, though.

"I have." Akako told him, slowly rising to her feet, brushing a few stray blades of grass from her skirts. "It's not very often that foreign witches grace our shores, so of those that do, most of them are rather well known. If it's a witch that could be mistaken for the likes of the raven black witch, and has been seen in the company of a wolf, I can only really think of one."

"And who might that be?" Having gotten to his feet to join them, Hakuba glanced between the two, not fully convinced that something hadn't happened in there that he didn't yet know about. Perhaps something personal, he determined, if they were keeping him out of the loop. "I can only feel that her usage of a wolf as a familiar is not a coincidence."

"On that, you would most likely be correct, your highness." Akako said with ease, her gaze sliding over towards him. "From what I have heard, merely from rumor and gossip, mind, is that her very familiar is something that she has taken from the raven black witch. In terms of power, she is the only one I can think of who might be able to hold even so much as a mere candle to her flame."

No, there was one other besides her- but she knew neither her name nor her title, so it was best not to bring up such vague information. Chasing shadows would do them no good at this point in time, not if she was to prevent that which she had seen. Had she known the future would have turned out in such a way, she never would have allowed that beast to set out on his own.

Still, if he really did manage to bring her what she sought, then perhaps she might be able to avert that future. With that kind of power, she might even be able to...

No, she shouldn't think on such things now.

"I know not what her ties are to the raven black witch, but she seems to bear a deep hatred against her." Akako told them. "I know not of her name, only her title, one quite fitting for someone who seems to seek to oppose that witch."

"Even her title would help." Hakuba stated. "If there really is such a witch, it may very well be in our best interest to try and meet with her. She might be able to assist us in the return of Nakamori-san. Provided, of course, that Kuroba-kun has no qualms with this himself, as this search is by his request."

Speaking of telling lies, it seemed as if now was his time to do so. "No, no qualms." Kaito told him, shaking his head, fighting the urge to place a hand over the pouch in which Pandora was sealed. "Having such a strong ally at our sides would be reassuring, really."

"Then I suppose our next course of action would be to find her. I doubt her appearance here is a coincidence, if she truly is who I think she is." Akako stated. "From what I've heard tell, her title is that of the lunar white witch. Much like the raven black witch, her magic seems to be tied to the moon."

"I see." Placing a hand against his chin, Hakuba's brows furrowed in thought. "If they are able to use magic of a similar sort, I can understand why it is that she might be able to snatch away one of the raven black witch's familiars from her. But why go to such lengths?"

"That I cannot say." Akako said, shaking her head. "There seems to be a history between them, as I have stated, but as for what that is, I know not. Much about her is clouded in mystery, not unlike the raven black witch herself."

"I see." Hakuba repeated. "And you said that the man you spoke with claimed that she was headed back towards Ekoda?"

"According to what he claimed, yes." Kaito noted, nodding his head. "If we can take his words at face value, at least."

"For the moment, I suppose we do not have much of a choice but to." Though he didn't look pleased at the prospect either, he had been the one to bring up asking the thieves in the first place, so it wasn't as if he could back out on the fruits of it now. "If that is true, and she truly is entering back into Ekoda, then it should be an easy time to find her. I will simply tell my men to keep their eyes out for her."

"You say that, but none of your men have spotted hide nor hair of Aoko, have they?" Kaito asked, folding his arms behind his head. "Not to mention that stranger from the village that you seem to be so interested in, that dark skinned one."

"I am sure that when Watson returns, he will return with more information." Hakuba's tone was sharp, as was his gaze. "The information network I have established is _hardly_ lacking, Kuroba-kun. If they have managed to slip through it thus far, it is only because they are either long gone, or avoiding conventional paths of travel."

"Now, now, there's no need to act in such a manner." Gaze flickering between the two, Akako quickly interjected. "What do you mean when you speak of a stranger though, Kuroba-kun? This is the first time I've heard of such a person."

If she didn't miss her guess, she knew exactly of whom they might be speaking of. It was only natural that he might rouse their suspicions, but it would be a problem for her if they managed to find him. Someone as perceptive as the prince might be able to notice that he was burying a curse, one tied to the very person that they were looking for. If it were to come out that she had assisted one such as that, even with her charm, things might turn rather sour for her.

"There was a strange young man with a strange accent who was asking questions about a missing girl back in your village, around the time when Nakamori-san would have gone missing." Hakuba stated. "Given the timing, there is a chance that he might be somehow connected to this."

"Come to think of it, by strange accent, do you think perhaps it was a Naniwa accent?" Kaito asked, his own brows furrowing in thought now. "If what that man had to say about Naniwa was true, then perhaps it's connected to that."

"It is possible." Hand straying to his chin once more as he dwelled on the possibility, Hakuba felt something tug at his memory. "Now that I recall, I did once hear about the current royal knight, the one serving the princess of that country. According to rumors, he was a dark skinned young man, descended from a witch."

"Oh?" Lifting his brows, Kaito couldn't help but find his curiosity piqued. "Come to think of it, that guy did mention it- that the princess and her royal knight had fled. Maybe they're the same person?"

"That may very well be the case." Hakuba noted. "If that _is_ true, then there is a chance that the girl he is asking after might very well be the princess herself. Perhaps they became separated along the way somewhere."

"Or the raven black witch took away the princess too." Kaito noted, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Might be interesting to find this royal knight too, while we're at it."

"Perhaps." Hakuba noted. "But for the time being, we will start with searching for this lunar white witch that Koizumi-san spoke of. Once Watson, returns, I shall-"

Cutting his own words short, Hakuba's hand strayed up to his chest, to where he had hidden his whistle. Pulling it out, he felt it vibrate underneath his fingers, a slight smile gracing his features. "My, my. What fortuitous timing. It does appear that we have a bit of luck on our side after all."

"Well," unable to help himself, Kaito watched as Hakuba blew into the whistle, summoning his loyal messenger bird to come their way, "...hope it's _good_ luck."

"I will have you know, Kuroba-kun," Hakuba began, holding his arm aloft for the bird to set itself down upon, "...that I am considered to have rather good luck."

"Let's hope that pans out then." Kaito noted, watching as Hakuba retrieved the message tied to the bird's leg. Watching as the prince's expression grew complicated, then darkened, he could only arch a brow, a tight frown on his face. "Though I'm going to guess from your expression, that's probably _not_ good news."

"I cannot claim that it is." Hakuba told him frankly, reading the message once more to make certain that he had read it properly. "Rather, it is _complicated_ news, if anything. It would seem that we should make haste to return to the royal palace, before anything else should go awry in my absence."

"Any chance you're going to spare us some of those details, _your highness_?" Kaito asked, narrowing his eyes. "Since you seem intent on bringing us with you, from the sound of it."

There was a hesitation in his gaze, as Hakuba glanced between the two of them. Finally heaving a long sigh, he gave a rather curt nod of his head. "Very well then, Kuroba-kun, I suppose you do have a right to know. But since it seems like the people who are involved in the matter themselves wish to keep it as quiet as possible, I would advise you to keep what I am about to say to yourselves."

"But of course." Akako said simply, giving him a smile. "I cannot speak for Kuroba-kun here, but I'm rather skilled when it comes to keeping my mouth shut."

There was an underlying meaning to her words, Kaito sensed- it was a warning for him not to speak about what she had been asked back there. Not that he'd planned to anyways- the last thing he wanted to do was complicate this trip any further. "You don't have to worry about me, your highness. I promise that not a word will pass from my lips."

"Very well." Hakuba said, making his way towards his horse's saddlebag, fetching the materials that he would need for a response. "Around a month ago or so, an item of great importance was stolen from the royal palace of Beika, by a rather notorious thief. Forgive me, but I shall not go into more detail than that."

With his back turned to him, Hakuba missed the slight way that Kaito's eye twitched, realizing full well what it was he was speaking of. As one would expect, the theft of their royal treasure was not information that they were giving out all that easily. Ideally, he would have already had it serve it's purpose by now, and would have returned it, but it would seem that fate had other plans.

"It would seem that the princess of their kingdom became rather smitten with the thief during that time, as she crossed paths with him as he fled." Hakuba noted. "Apparently, she has run away from the palace, likely with the intent to find him."

"To... reclaim the item?" Kaito couldn't help but ask, blinking a little. Sure, it wasn't like he had forgotten his little brush with the princess, since he'd outright panicked for a moment at the time. Somehow, he had managed to prevent her from calling for the palace's guards by giving her a few flattering lines, but he didn't expect that she would have ended up being _smitten_ with him because of it.

"Perhaps." Hakuba noted. "From the sound of it, it would seem as if she is more interested in the man who stole it than she is in the item itself."

"By which, you mean...?"

"She wants to catch him, from the sound of it." Hakuba noted, glancing back towards him. "Though by the sound of it, not to turn him into the law, it would seem. Goodness sake, I always knew that Suzuki-san was rather headstrong and did not always think things through properly, but to think that she would go so far as to do something like this... what a troublesome princess they have."

Gaze flickering briefly towards Kaito, Akako turned her attention back towards Hakuba. "But what would that have to do with you, Hakuba-san?"

"Apparently, she was in the royal city not so long ago." Hakuba told her. "Emphasis, of course, on _was_. It would seem that when my men tried to escort her to the palace, she and her two companions fled. Though I was not there myself, I nevertheless must hold responsibility for this failing, and face those who would have come to claim her myself."

"And who _is_ it that's coming to claim her?" Kaito couldn't help but ask, a knot of apprehension in his stomach. It was for the best that the princess was gone- he didn't want to risk the chance that she might be able to identify him.

"Kudo Shinichi, of Beika Kingdom." Hakuba told him. "Much like myself, he is also a detective. Quite brilliant, from what I have heard."

"I see." Kaito said, forcing a smile to his face. "Well, I guess it can't be helped then. We were heading in the direction of Ekoda anyways, might as well swing by the palace to sort out that whole mess of a thing while we're there."

Even though he said that, somehow, he really didn't like the idea of having to deal with _two_ detectives. If this Kudo Shinichi person had caught sight of him at his heist... wouldn't that be bad?

When he'd made his plan, he'd thought it simple, at first. He should have known that there was no such thing.

* * *

They had decided to forgo making camp that night for as long as possible, in order to make up for lost time somewhat. It was just as they were setting it up, that they received a reply to the message that they had sent out to Ekoda- and from the look on Shinichi's face as he scanned the message, it wasn't that hard to guess that it was bad news.

"Somehow, I get the feelin' we're not makin' camp tonight, are we?"

"Doesn't seem that way." Shinichi said simply, heaving a long sigh. There was something almost smug in the young man's expression, as if he had already taken a guess as to what the contents of the note contained. That, he guessed, had nothing to do with his prophetic abilities.

"Don't tell me that Sonoko ran away?" Ran asked, all but taking the note from Shinichi's hands, scanning it over herself. Letting out a long sigh as she realized that was exactly what happened, she passed it back to her childhood friend. "She really doesn't want us to find her, does she?"

"So it seem." Shinichi said, pocketing the note. "Regardless, we'll still head to the royal palace. There's something in the note that has be curious."

"Curious?" Finally having untangled his arm from his horse's reins, Eisuke joined them. "What exactly? You don't think she's in trouble, do you?"

"No, she's probably fine." Shinichi said. "According to the guards who made contact with her, there wasn't really anything abnormal about her behavior. It's just that she has one more person with her than I expected."

"Maybe she hired another bodyguard along the way?" Ran asked. "Did they say what her other companion looked like?"

"No, but I'll be we can ask when we get there." Shinichi told her. "Either way, we should probably put off making camp for awhile longer yet. We can still make some progress tonight, and if we push forward, we might be able to make it there by tomorrow. I'd rather reduce the gap that she's gained over us by as much as possible."

"That's why I said waitin' around wasn't a good idea." Heiji couldn't help but quip, his grin only growing as Shinichi shot him a rather sour look. "Seems either that princess is more clever than ya give her credit fer, or one of her two companions is."

"Um, did I perhaps give you trouble somehow?" Eisuke spoke up, glancing in between the two. "Because you had to wait for me?"

"Not at all, Eisuke-kun." Ran quickly interjected, giving him a smile. "Don't worry about it. We'll find Sonoko soon enough. She couldn't have gotten that much of a lead on us. Besides, while we're in Ekoda, we can request Hakuba-kun's help, can't we?"

"If he's there." Shinichi noted. "Well, they did say that they would contact him too, so it's possible he might have already returned by the time we get there."

"Ah, that detective prince?" Heiji asked, frowning a little as he cleaned one of his ears. Honestly, he really didn't want to meet the guy. Ekoda was the country where witches had to go to the palace to request permission to live, after all, so he couldn't say he was very interested in meeting someone who helped enforce such a absurd rule. "He go somewhere?"

"Apparently." Shinichi told him. "They didn't give me very many details, but it seems as if he was requested to help with a missing persons case. Unrelated to our own, of course."

"Well, sounds like yer princess isn't so much missin' as she is a runaway." Heiji remarked, folding his arms in front of his chest. "Well I'm ready ta head out again any time the three of you are. Figure I might as well get a head start, since I have the disadvantage of not being on horseback."

"You're sure doing a great job keeping up with us though, for being disadvantaged." Eisuke couldn't help but observe. "That must have been some very harsh training you were put through indeed."

"Ya could say that much again." Heiji told him, shrugging his shoulders. Well, it was true that the training had been tough, so it wasn't as if he were lying. "Well then," scooping up the bag that he had dropped, pulling it over his shoulder, "...I'll head on ahead. Be sure ta catch up with me once ya break camp."

"Then, I'll go ahead and put out the campfire." Ran said. "And compose a message to let them know that we're coming."

"Yeah, thanks, Ran." Passing the messenger bird back over to her, Shinichi gave her a small smile. It was only after he was quite certain that she- and Heiji- were out of earshot, that his attention turned towards Eisuke. "So? What do you think?"

"Of Hattori-san, you mean?" Eisuke asked, a frown crossing his face. "I can't say for sure. There's magic clouding my ability to read him, which is strange in and of itself. There's plenty of things that bother me about him, though. Do you really think he's been cursed by _that_ witch?"

"It's likely." His expression turning grave, Shinichi turned in the direction Heiji had headed off in, barely able to make out his silhouette in the darkness of the night. "He claims that he escaped from them, but I can't shake the feeling that's not the whole truth."

"He seems to have an awful lot of free will for one of her servants, though." Eisuke couldn't help but observe. "I expected him to have less personality, when I heard from Miyano-sensei why she was sending me out here."

"That's why I'm not sure." Shinichi told him. "To begin with, I only know of the curse based on hearsay, I don't know anything about how it works. It's possible that I'm wrong, and he really is telling the truth, but... I'd rather not let my guard down."

"Especially not with Ran-san here?" Eisuke asked.

"That's part of it, yes." Shinichi confessed, his gaze flickering over towards her, lingering for a moment before he fixed his attention back on Eisuke. "But I'd also like to know what it is that the raven black witch wants from us, if he really is in her thrall. And from Naniwa, for that matter. If she intends to inflect the same fate on other countries..."

"That's true." Eisuke mused. "That she's making a move of some sort, there's no doubt. But as to what that move is... I can't say."

"Did Miyano tell you anything?" Shinichi asked.

"No, she didn't." Eisuke said, shaking his head. "But it looked like she was thinking about something."

"I see." Closing his eyes, Shinichi drew in a long breath. "Let's hope she thinks of something, then."

He could only hope that what she was thinking of wasn't running away. Considering he was under the impression that she had run from her to them in the first place, it wasn't out of the range of possibility. He didn't know what her history was with her, but he didn't even really have to be a detective to know that it had left a deep scar on her. If she were to run... he couldn't blame her, really.

But then again... if the raven black witch truly had decided to rise again, would there even be anywhere left to run _to_?

* * *

"Hey, are you sure we're really heading the right way?"

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Glancing back in Sonoko's direction, a reassuring lit up Sera's face. "I'm pretty good with directions, after all, so I'm certain we're headed in the right direction. If we take this path, it leads to a short cut to where we're headed after this."

"Really?" Unable to keep the skeptical note out of her voice, Sonoko let her gaze drift upwards, warily eying what she knew were simply birds watching them. In the darkness of the dense forest, however, their presence was downright unsettling. "Maybe this place really _is_ cursed."

"It's okay! It's been a thousand years since then." Kazuha piped up, just barely catching the words that slipped out of Sonoko's mouth. "The curse from a witch's grudge upon death would have already long since faded. Auntie Shizuka told me once that they don't really actually last that long, generally speakin'."

"It's that _generally speaking_ part that's got me worried." Sonoko noted, glancing behind her. There was barely enough clear space to ride single file through the forest- it was too obvious that it really was a place where no human dared to tread. "It feels like it's cursed, at least."

"That's normal, for a forest like this." Sera told her. "They just give off that kind of vibe on their own. That's probably why the rumors have persisted, all these years. Not to mention, even without a curse, it's easy to get lost in these sorts of places. But have no fear, your highness, for I promise that we will arrive safely at our destination."

"Well, I suppose I don't have much choice but to put faith in your skills, Sera-chan." Sonoko noted, finally cracking a slight smile. "Where is it that we're headed after this, at any rate?"

"To someone we might be able to ask questions about the Moonlight Magician." Sera told her, carefully ducking her head so as to avoid a low hanging branch. "Back when he first appeared, there used to be a man that would chase him quite often, in hopes of catching him. He used to be part of the royal guards, but it seems like he married a noblewoman and retired."

"Heh, so what happened ta him after that?" Kazuha asked.

"If I recall, he took on his wife's last name, and started ruling in her place once she passed away a few years ago." Sera told her. "Their land is towards the outskirts of Ekoda, near the border of Beika."

"So in other words, we're basically going back the way we came?" Sonoko couldn't help but ask. "Well, at least we know that Shinichi will be heading in the other direction."

"For the moment, at least." Sera noted. "If they know we're after the Moonlight Magician, they might be able to draw the same conclusion that we did."

"That's true." Kazuha frowned. "So? We basically go an' talk ta this guy while this Kudo-kun person an' the prince chat it out back in the palace?"

"Basically." Sera said, looking back once more in their direction. "First things first, I want to confirm that the Moonlight Magician who appeared this time, and the Moonlight Magician from back then are actually different people. Who better to tell us than someone who used to deal with the latter regularly?"

"That's true." Sonoko noted. "So? What's this man's name?"

"Nakamori." Sera told her. "Nakamori Ginzo."

"Nakamori?" Kazuha perked up, a slight frown crossing her face. Somehow, she got the vague feeling that she had heard that name somewhere before, from somewhere. But as to where that might be, or what the context of it had been, she couldn't recall. "I get the feelin' I've heard that name from somewhere before. Ya said he took on his wife's last name?"

"Yes." Sera said, nodding her head. "Apparently they've been ruling in that area for generations. An old family, I think, perhaps older than the prince's own lineage."

"That long?" Sonoko blinked. "The Hakuba family is one of the oldest royal families I know. To think that there's a family that's been around here longer than them..."

"The Toyama family has been around fer a pretty long time too, ya know." Kazuha chimed in. "Ever since Naniwa was formed as a country, really. That reminds me, Sonoko-chan, yer family hasn't been around fer that long, has it?"

"No." Sonoko said, shaking her head. "It was maybe only around two hundred years ago or so that we started to rule Beika. I can't remember how many greats he is, but it was one of my ancestors that took it over from it's previous rulers. Apparently he wasn't very popular, the previous king."

"I've read about that before." Sera said. "It's been the Suzuki family in charge ever since then, hasn't it?"

"That's right." Sonoko said, nodding her head. "More importantly, Sera-chan, how much longer do you think it will take us to get there? I'd really rather not have to camp out in a creepy place like this."

"Don't worry." Sera told her, glancing her way. It was already probably high time to make camp in reality, but it was hard to determine what the sky looked like from within the dense forest. Well, spending one night on horseback wasn't likely to become a problem, as long as they got some rest once they were out. "It shouldn't take more than half a day's ride longer to get out of this forest. After we get out, there's only another day's ride left to the village in question."

A village that she had heard some rather unusual rumors about, while she was seeking out information. But given the nature of them... perhaps it was better not to mention them right now. Well, it wasn't likely to become a problem for them anyways, so she supposed that it didn't really matter.

A collapsing tower and it's mysterious resident, while troublesome, didn't seem as if it would become at all related to their current troubles.

* * *

"Is something the matter, Hattori-kun?"

Glancing up as Ran drew her horse back towards him, Heiji merely flashed her a quick grin. He hadn't thought the fact that he'd fallen to the back of the party would have gone without notice. "It's nothin', Neechan."

"Is walking beside us really too much to ask for after all?" Ran asked, a deep set frown on her face. "You don't really need to push yourself. We could always share a horse with you if you needed to take a break."

"No, it's nothin' like that." Heiji told her, shaking his head, his gaze flickering up towards the horse that she rode. As he thought, being this close to him made it nervous, only held in check by Ran's firm control on it's reins, and the fact that he wasn't making any obvious moves towards it.

It couldn't be helped, really. Animals could sense things humans couldn't, after all.

"Ya really don't have ta worry about it Neechan." Heiji told her. "I'm really not that tired, an' I can see how important it is ta ya that we get ta Ekoda's palace as soon as possible. Yer worried about her, aren't ya? That princess of yers."

"I am." Letting out a slight sigh as she realized that she wouldn't be able to convince him, Ran instead ordered her horse to fall into step with him. It seemed to resist a little at first, but eventually complied. "She's my childhood friend, after all, much like your own is to you."

"I guess that would do it." Heiji noted, one hand coming to rest on the hilt of his sword. "She's headstrong, that princess of mine, but I can't say that I dislike that about her. That's why she's probably also safe, wherever she is right now. Her luck's better than mine anyways."

"You really want to see her again soon, don't you?" Ran asked. "What do you plan on doing after you find her, Hattori-kun? Your country is still..."

"Who knows?" Shrugging his shoulders, Heiji forced back what he'd really like to say. Lying, even by omission, didn't come easily. He'd been raised to be honest, by two parents who were very hard to lie to. "I guess we'll look fer a way ta save it. It's not like we can go back home, what with it bein' sealed off an' all."

"I suppose that's true." Ran mused. "But I'm sure you'll find a way. There must be one."

"Yer right. It's just a matter of findin' it." Heiji said, his gaze flickering forward once more. Though he looked away once he caught eye contact with him, he'd felt Shinichi's eyes on him sure enough, a wary gaze watching him. He had just been joking about them eloping earlier, but perhaps there really was something there after all, between the two of them.

"Speakin' of childhood friend, yer other seems like he wants ya ta join back up with him already." Heiji noted, jerking his head in Shinichi's direction. "Ya'd better catch up. I'll be fine back here, ya don't have ta worry about me."

Hesitating for a moment, looking as if there was something else that she wanted to say, Ran eventually nodded her head. "You're probably right. Then, give out a shout if there's any trouble back there, Hattori-kun, and we'll stop. You're a member of this party as well, after all."

"I'll be sure ta keep that in mind." Heiji noted, giving her a nod of his head. Watching as she gave one back in return, before tightening her grip on the reins of her horse, commanding it to catch up with the others, he let out a long sigh. Hand straying up to the back of his neck, he watched as Ran caught back up with them, exchanging a few words with Shinichi.

Honestly, even if he couldn't hear what he was saying, it was transparently obvious that he was worried about her. For the moment, it wasn't as if Shinichi bluntly mistrusted him, but it wasn't as if he was ready to leave him alone with someone that it looked more and more like he had feelings for. Though honestly, between the two of them, she'd probably be the one to last the longer if he really were to lose his mind to the curse, all things told.

Animals, after all, could sense things differently than people could. It would appear that he was no exception.

But speaking of sensing things...

Narrowing his eyes, the hand that had merely been resting on his hilt moving to grasp it tightly, Heiji turned his gaze backwards. The night vision that the curse had gifted him was a good thing- but he had a feeling he'd know where that _thing_ was even without it. He hadn't been certain when he had first picked it up, but now, he was almost positive of it- that something was following them.

One of his kindred, one might even say. Of feathers though, rather than fur- and certainly not one with as sharp a possession of it's own mind and will as he. It was probably because of that, that he could sense it- it didn't seem as if anyone else had picked up on it just yet.

And if they had, they hadn't yet picked up on it's relevance.

There was no doubt. The raven black witch was watching them. At first, he had suspected that it was he that she had her eyes on- but that was wrong. Rather, the one she was really watching was...

Well, that much he hadn't been able to determine yet. Whether those eyes were for Shinichi, or for Ran, or perhaps even both, he hadn't figured out yet. But whoever it was watching for, he wouldn't let it cause them any harm.

He might be planning on betraying them too, but he had enough human in him left for that. He didn't want to see it- didn't want to see anyone else die, and didn't want to see anyone else suffer through the same curse that had fallen on him. So whatever that damn witch was planning, as long as he had his will, he wouldn't let her.

He could only hope that he wasn't _part_ of her plan.


	11. Those Who Cross Paths, By Fate

"...hey, Neechan."

"What is it, Hattori-kun?"

"Do I have somethin' on my face, by any chance?"

With a slight frown, Ran turned her head, as if to check. "No, nothing. Why do you ask?"

"No... it's just, ever since we arrived here, I can't shake the feelin' that people have been lookin' at me funny." With a faint twitch of his eye, Heiji fought back against the urge to pivot on his heel, and shout out that he wasn't here to be anyone's damn _spectacle_ \- but since he was entirely certain that would do nothing to help matters, he fought back the urge.

"You're not imagining it." Butting into the conversation was not going to win him any points, Heiji thought, his attention turning over in the direction of Eisuke. "The people in this country aren't used to witch's children, especially male ones."

"What, so that's all?" Heiji asked, slumping in his chair. "I thought it was somethin' else. Just more of the usual, then."

"From the sound of it, you seem more accustomed to this than I thought." Eisuke observed. "I was under the impression that your country was more friendly to witches."

"Yeah, _friendly_ alright." Heiji told him. "It's just _me_ they're not awfully fond of."

"Eh, why's that, Hattori-kun?" Ran asked, sounding rather surprised to hear it. "I would have thought that the royal knight of the princess would have been more well liked."

"Well, that's how it usually goes." Heiji remarked, letting out a loud sigh. "But even in Naniwa, they've never had one that's a witch's child before. Not ta mention, there's plenty of folks who feel that I got the job because of my parents, rather than on my own merit."

"You call it merit, but aren't the knights chosen by prophecy?" It was clear from his tone that he meant no harm by his question- but that didn't stop him from annoying Heiji all the further.

He had to wonder if it would have bothered him half as much were he not under the influence of her curse- he wasn't just imagining things, he thought, he knew for a fact that people were staring at him. Whispering, too- and he could half make out what they were saying, in spite of the distance between them.

" _Future_ merit, then." Heiji said, pushing himself up in his chair. "Anyways, that's enough about me already. When's Kudo comin' back?"

"It might take awhile longer." Ran told him, giving him a reassuring smile. "Even for a noble, there's certain things that need to be put in order before one can meet royalty, especially from a foreign country."

"Isn't it like that in your country?" Eisuke inquired.

"Ya really _do_ like askin' questions about me, don't ya?" Heiji asked, his gaze flickering over in his direction, witch ringed eyes meeting with witch ringed eyes. He'd expected him to flinch, but he guessed he'd have to give the guy a bit more credit than that. "Well, it's a bit more lax over there. Mostly because there's nobody stupid enough to go up against my old man."

"Guessin' we were tossed out here because we're not nobles, though." Heiji remarked, turning his attention towards the door that Shinichi had been whisked away through. "Ya don't think we're gonna be left out of the meeting entirely, do ya?"

"I don't think so." Ran told him. "Prince Hakuba isn't that sort of person."

"So ya say." Heiji noted, looking vaguely unconvinced. "Me, I'll believe it when I see it."

"For a witch's child, that's a pretty strange attitude to take." Eisuke couldn't help but observe. "I was always taught that-"

"Some of us can't use magic, ya know." Heiji cut him off, narrowing his eyes- and this time, he did flinch. "Well, it's not like I'm some kind of skeptic or anythin' like that. I just choose ta not believe in things there's no proof fer. I am a _detective_ , ya know."

"I thought you were a knight." Eisuke noted.

"Yeah, that too." Heiji said simply, letting out a rather irritated sigh, folding his arms behind his head. "Well, since it seems I'll be able ta find what I'm lookin' fer by bein' good an' followin' behind that runaway princess of yers, I guess I'll just grin an' bear it fer now."

"Eh? What do you mean by that?" Eisuke asked. "I gather that you're searching for Princess Toyama, but..."

"Yer really persistent, aren't ya." Heiji observed, arching a brow. Well, if he was right, it was probably this kid's job to wean information from him, but like he was going to tell him anything that it was that he actually wanted to know. If it was other facts about himself, then it would be no problem, but even then, it was kind of annoying to be asked question after question about yourself, particularly when they came from someone he wasn't sure he much liked.

If the kid would stop asking him a million question, maybe.

"He's just curious, Hattori-kun." Ran told him, offering him up a smile. "I'm sure Eisuke-kun doesn't mean any harm."

" _Curious_ , huh?" Heiji noted, deciding if it were for the best if he just left it at that. "Well, I might not be able ta use magic, but I did at least inherit just a bit of my mother's ability."

"I see." Eisuke mused. "In other words, you had a prophecy that you'd find the one that you're seeking by following Kudo-san and Ran-san?"

"Yeah, that's about the basics of it." Heiji told him.

...ah. Hoping it didn't look too much like he perked up at a sound that nobody else could hear, Heiji leaned forward, making out the sound of Shinichi's footsteps. Biting back a comment, he waited until the door itself opened up before he said anything further. Having increased senses could be a boon, but it was a pain to constantly have to check himself to make sure he didn't slip. "...looks like Kudo's back."

Good. Maybe now they could get somewhere.

And maybe he could get away from _mister twenty questions_ for awhile.

* * *

Never could he have imagined that one of the very people that he was looking for would simply walk through his door. Now if only they could find the missing Nakamori Aoko as simply.

Perhaps it was the correct choice to leave Kaito and Akako waiting in the chambers that he had arranged for them. Akako, at the very least, had seemed intrigued at the prospect of meeting the young detective from Beika, but he couldn't say that Kaito had shard her same enthusiasm.

It wasn't as if could entirely blame him. To him, this probably seemed like an entirely unneeded detour. There was very little doubt in his mind that he simply wanted to return to searching for Aoko as quickly as possible.

Still, perhaps the news that the mysterious dark skinned stranger from his village had turned up like this. He never could have imagined that the young man would have ended up joining Shinichi's party, and for a brief moment, he almost couldn't help but be suspicious about these all too fortuitous circumstances- before he dashed aside such a thought as foolish.

Still, before he got to his own matter, he had to deal with the matter that had brought them to Ekoda.

Clearing his throat, Hakuba rose to his feet, the polite smile that crossed his face something born out of practice, though on the surface it no doubt appeared to be effortless. "Well met, all of you. I am certain that you have heard of me before, but I am the prince of this country, Hakuba Saguru."

...the young knight seemed to mutter something under his breath, though Hakuba couldn't quite catch what it might have been. He couldn't shake the impression that it had been something rude, though.

"I have been informed by my palace attendants that you are currently in pursuit of the princess of Beika Kingdom." Hakuba continued, deciding to put it from his mind for the moment. "I do apologize for the fact that they could not keep her here until your arrival, but I will pledge as much of my support as I can to help find her."

"I heard that you were out on a case." It was Kudo Shinichi who first spoke up, cutting out any preamble in a way that would have made Hakuba blanch under different circumstances. "In that case, it's we who should apologize for calling you back in on such short notice."

"No, not at all." Hakuba said, shaking his head. "If anything, there is a chance that we may be able to help each other, Kudo-kun."

"Of course, I will have my men keep an eye out for the princess and her two companions." Hakuba spoke again, preempting any questions that might have otherwise interrupted him. "It does please me to hear that you seem confident that she is in safe hands, at the very least. Still, I am quite certain that you wish to have her returned to you as quickly as possible."

"...especially given certain _happenings_ in the world."

"I get the feelin' that remark was directed at me." Hattori Heiji, as he had been introduced to him, now took the chance to spoke up, locking eyes with him in a fashion that nearly made his skin crawl.

Blue eyes, ringed with a lighter shade of blue... a witch's child, to be sure. But there was something more in those eyes, an intensity that for a brief second, almost made it hard to breathe, till it eased as if it had never been there before.

"Yes." Hakuba said simply. "We have come to learn about the state of your country recently, Hattori-kun, though only through so much as hearsay. Still, your presence here would seem to prove that there is some truth to the rumors."

"What, they've already spread this far?" Heiji asked, arching a brow. "Then, that saves me the trouble of why I'm here, at least."

"Indeed it would." Hakuba said, unable to help but take note of the rather rude tone in which he spoke. For someone who spent most of his life flanking a royal princess, it seemed strange to him that he had been allowed to keep such rough speech- but perhaps things were different in Naniwa than they were here.

It was, after all, a country that had close ties to witches. It was to be expected then, that the people living there would be somewhat eccentric.

"I hear that you are searching for your own princess as well." Hakuba observed. "In that matter, we are more than willing to lend some men as well."

"Well thank ya." Heiji said, his tone not sounding entirely _grateful_ , for all that. "I'm sure it'll help a lot."

Clearing his throat, Shinichi tried to get the topic back on track. "If you say that we can help you with your current case, Hakuba-san, I would be more than willing to assist. What is it that you request of us?"

"Answers, should you have them." Hakuba told him, his gaze once more turning back towards Heiji, frowning at the way he all but flinched at it. "Do pardon me if I am mistaken, Hattori-kun, but there was a young man of your description asking questions of a missing girl seen in a small village on the Ekoda Beika border. Is there any chance that might be you?"

There was a slight pause there, and for a moment, it almost seemed as if he were debating answering the question. "...yeah, that was me. What of it?"

"I see." Hakuba said, his expression turning grave. "The truth is that my current case is a rather mysterious one. When you were there, Hattori-kun, I am certain that you likely noticed a huge tower in the forest, did you not?"

"Maybe I did." Heiji said, shrugging his shoulders. In truth, he had, but had stayed far away from the place- there had been something about it that had given him a bad feeling, so he'd given it a fair breadth. "What of it?"

"It would seem that there was a young girl living there." Hakuba began. "Who is now no longer. I have been tasked with finding her."

"A girl?" Shinichi asked. "I'm a bit familiar with the tower of which you speak, but you mean to tell me that there was someone actually living there?"

"Yes, though I was not aware of it myself until recently." Hakuba told him, nodding his head. "She goes by the name of Nakamori Aoko. My current client was a childhood friend of hers, and discovered her missing when he came to ascend the tower the other day. I should give mention to the fact that shortly after her disappearance, the tower as a whole collapsed into rubble."

"What, a tower princess?" Heiji asked, tilting his head. "Sounds like somethin' more out of a fairytale. Ya sure yer client isn't just pullin' yer leg?"

"I don't think anyone would go so far for a mere joke." Hakuba merely observed.

"And?" Taking a step forward, almost as if she was uncertain if she were allowed to speak or not, the one who had been introduced to him as Mouri Ran finally did so. "What is it that you need of Hattori-kun, your highness?"

"Even if I was in the area around the same time, I can't really say that I saw anythin'." Heiji said simply, shrugging his shoulders.

"It is in relation as to why this young girl was in the tower in the first place." Hakuba told them, drawing in a breath. "Who it was that took her is not so much of a mystery to us as it is where she was taken _to_."

"Oi, you can't..."

"That is correct." Hakuba told them, his expression more grave than ever. "The one who placed her in the tower, as well as the one who took her away... she is someone that Hattori-kun here would have cause to be familiar with, I think."

It would seem that everyone gathered here was familiar with Heiji's story- for the one who spoke next was the final member of their party that he had been introduced to, Hondou Eisuke.

"...the raven black witch."

"Yes." Closing his eyes, drawing in a long breath, Hakuba gave them a curt nod of his head. "That would be right."

"I see." Almost letting out a faint snort, Heiji closed his eyes. "So that's why ya thought I could help ya. Because of what happened ta my country, ya think I might hold some kinda clue ta either her intentions or whereabouts, right?"

"It would be rather helpful if you did." Hakuba remarked.

"'Fraid not." Heiji told him, opening his eyes, a certain frankness to his voice. "If I knew somethin' like that, I'd storm the place myself."

And either lose his life or his remaining humanity in the process. Still, that sort of thing wouldn't have him even thinking twice about it- if there was a chance he could accomplish something by doing so, he would do it without hesitation.

So long as it didn't bring harm to Kazuha, that was.

"I see." Letting out a rather disappointed sigh, Hakuba did not give way to the urge to allow himself to appear defeated, even in the slightest. "I will admit, that is a shame. Still, I will not draw back on my offer to assist you with your quest to find either of those that you are looking for."

"Ah," there was a slight pause there, as Hakuba directed his gaze back towards Heiji once more, "...but if you could provide us with a description of the royal princess of Naniwa, it would be much appreciated. I am afraid that we have nothing to go off of, considering how isolated your country is."

"Ah, if that's all, I can help ya out there." Heiji told him. Well, there was something about this guy that didn't sit right with him, but if he was frankly offering to help, he wasn't about to turn down the offer.

He might act like he wasn't that worried, but the sooner he could confirm that Kazuha was safe, the better.

"That reckless princess of mine has brown hair, wears it in a ponytail with a ribbon, like so," holding up his hands behind his head as if to demonstrate, Heiji continued, "...green eyes too. I would say that she's around Neechan's height here, an'-"

"...what is it?"

"...actually, we may already have an idea as to where she is."

* * *

But not as to where she had _gone_.

It was frustrating- super frustrating- to come this close, and yet still be so far away. But the knowledge that she had been spotted here, not even that long ago, while frustrating, was at the same time reassuring- because it was exactly the kind of news that he had been hoping to hear all this time, ever since he started looking for her.

That she was safe- at least for now.

Still, to think that out of all of the places that she could have ended up... that it would be with the very same princess that those two were searching for. He had more or less of an idea as to what Kazuha's motives were for joining up with her, if not the _how_ of it- even he had to admit that in that matter, they weren't really that different.

The reasons as to why they wanted it, though... those were completely different.

No wonder his prophetic dream had lead him here- at first, he had thought it really had been just about that stone, but it would appear that if he followed along with them, he really would find everything that he was looking for. Both the princess, and the royal treasure alike.

...but for the moment, it seemed as if he was going to have to put up with this stuffy palace environment for a bit longer. At the very least, it didn't seem as if he was the only one that felt completely out of place here.

"Yer Kuroba, right?"

...what was that? There was no reason for him to startle so badly, not when all he was doing was calling his name. This guy, he couldn't possibly...?

"Ah, sorry. I was thinking about something."

...or not, he guessed.

"Well, seein' as yer childhood friend is missin' an' all, can't I say I blame ya." Heiji remarked, with an easy shrug of his shoulders. "Seems like there's a rash of those goin' around right now."

"So it would seem." Kaito replied, finally halting in the pacing that he had been doing ever since they had been told to wait here- and to be honest, Heiji couldn't be more glad for it. It stirred up something far more base in him, the restless manner in which he paced the floor.

Kuroba Kaito, or so he had been introduced to him as. The childhood friend of the girl who had been trapped in that tower, and that detective prince's client, apparently. There was something about the guy that almost bothered him, but at the same time, he got the feeling that he might be able to get along with him, at least a little.

...honestly, what was the deal with meeting all of these people that in other circumstances, he might actually be able to earnestly befriend? At the very least, if they were all like Eisuke and Hakuba, he might not be so bothered when he had to eventually betray them.

...though, given _that witch_ herself was here, he might not actually have to. Judging from the way that she acted around this Kaito person, it would seem as if the two of them had some history together- and now that he thought about it, his scent was actually just a little bit familiar to him, as if he had picked it up from somewhere before.

...man though. If only he could put this nose of his to use in finding Kazuha, then at the very least, this curse of his might actually be _useful_.

"Sorry though. From the sound of it, that Blondie was expectin' me ta help ya out with that." Heiji said, shrugging his shoulders. "But I can't tell ya about what I don't know. Can't say I can't understand how anxious ya are though, given that _black witch_ is involved."

"I'm sure Aoko will be fine." Kaito told him, though to be frank, he didn't sound that convinced. "If that witch wanted to harm her, she would have probably done it a long time ago."

"Well, provided that she wasn't just savin' her fer somethin' special." Heiji noted, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, given what I've read of that woman, I wouldn't be too surprised if keepin' princesses trapped in towers was just a hobby of hers."

"You've read about her?" Kaito asked. "Now that you mention it, you're from Naniwa, aren't you?"

"That's right." Heiji told him. "But before that, I came from Lamia. Still go back there from time to time. Though," shrugging his shoulders, he gave him something of a helpless grin, "...that's probably impossible right now."

"From the sound of it, yeah." Kaito said, nodding his head, finally seeming to become interested. "So? You're looking for a princess? Sounds like those other three are as well."

...odd. Heiji was almost certain his scent changed a little when he mentioned those other three- as well as the princess they were searching for. Some shift of emotion, probably... but while he had gotten used to his senses enough to determine that much, as for what kind of emotion it was, he couldn't say.

The guy certainly wasn't letting it show on his face though. Like he thought, he definitely had his guard up.

...which was strange in and of itself. Why? Did he really give off the kind of aura that would make him think that way? It wasn't as if he would have known about anyone's suspicions regarding him at this point- but he was almost certain that was part of what Shinichi and Eisuke had gone discuss with Hakuba, especially since they had sent that Neechan away to arrange some lodging.

Well, that was to be expected. The only odd thing was that they hadn't invited Akako to the meeting with them- he would have thought for sure that they would want to ask a full fledged witch her opinion.

Well, he might say that, but she only appeared that way on the surface. But if she wasn't going to say anything about him, he sure as hell wasn't going to say anything about her.

That reminded him though. Since it looked like they were going to work together on this, he should try and find a chance to speak in private with her. If he could call his deal with her off, that would be a load off of his back. If she could obtain Pandora with her own two hands, there was no reason for him to get involved, was there?

Even if he _did_ owe her a debt.

"Sure am." Heiji said, rubbing the back of his neck. "A total pain in the ass princess."

"Did you really not notice anything back in the village though?" Kaito asked, a tight frown on his face, one that wasn't _quite_ suspicion, he thought. "Thought that someone who declares themself a detective would be a little more observant."

"Like I said, I can't tell ya what I don't know. If I didn't see anythin' it was because there was nothin' there ta see." Heiji told him, shrugging his shoulders. "My thoughts were a little full at the moment anyways, in case ya haven't noticed. I didn't have the time ta worry about anyone else."

"...well, that's true." Kaito admitted.

"Still, ya've got three detectives on the case now." Heiji told him, grinning from ear to ear as he got to his feet, closing the gap between them. He didn't miss the faint that he flinched as he reached out to pat him on the shoulder, but decided to not make mention of it- at least for the moment. "Ya should be feelin' reassured, if anythin'!"

"I guess that's true too." Kaito admitted again- and now Heiji was _damn sure_ that faint emotion he was picking up from him was apprehension.

What, did this guy have something to hide from detectives? Well, well. Wasn't that interesting? It seemed like he wasn't the only one here that was keeping secrets.

"Right?" Heiji told him, drawing his hand away, tucking it back into his pockets. "Don't worry. My princess, yer princess, Kudo's princess... we'll find them all in a flash, with the three of our brains put together!"

"...though for all that, they didn't seem to have let you in on the meeting." Kaito couldn't help but observe.

...he might actually have to take his earlier remark about liking this guy back.

* * *

"What was it that you needed to speak with me about, Kudo-kun?"

His gaze briefly hanging on Eisuke for a moment longer, Hakuba gradually turned it back towards Shinichi. Though he couldn't deny that any matter that involved the raven black witch was grave, the gravity of the expression on his face caught him somewhat off guard. Brows furrowing together, he couldn't help but wonder as to why he had requested that he alone should speak with him.

"It's about that raven black witch, actually." Shinichi spoke up. "If we're going to be working together, then it's only fair that I share some pertinent information with you."

"Is this perhaps information that Mouri-san and Hattori-kun are not aware of?" Hakuba asked.

"Not Ran, at least." Shinichi told him, his expression growing somewhat strained. He didn't like keeping things from Ran, but if he was wrong, he didn't want to risk alienating Heiji either. "As for Hattori-kun..."

"The matter is about him." Eisuke spoke up, before pausing, glancing over towards Shinichi, a faint hesitation in his eyes. "...this is what you called him hear to discuss, right?"

"...right." Nodding his head, Shinichi gave him a nod of his head. "It's about Hattori."

"Very well." Pulling his chair forward, Hakuba steepled his fingers, a look of clear interest on his face. "Do tell."

"As you know, Hattori's country was subject to a powerful curse from the raven black witch." Shinichi began. "Of which he fled from alongside the currently missing princess."

Or not so missing, he supposed.

"It's how they were separated in the first place that concerns me." Shinichi told him. "Are you familiar with the rumors about her familiars?"

"Yes, I am." Hakuba said, nodding his head. "Currently, we have reason to believe they're more than simple rumors."

"Of course they are." Eisuke piped up. "Miyano-sensei wouldn't have sent me out this far if they weren't true."

"What Eisuke-kun is trying to say is that we have reason of our own to suspect there's truth the rumors." Shinichi told him. "Though we have no evidence of our claim either. It would seem that before they were separated, both Hattori and Princess Toyama were attacked, by that witch's familiars."

" _Attacked_ -!" Hakuba remarked, his eyes bolting wide open. "Surely you cannot be suggesting..."

"We are." Shinichi said, his gaze drifting in the direction of the door, a slight frown on his face. He'd told Heiji to spend his time acquainting himself with Hakuba's client, so on the off chance he'd left the room, he would at least be able to ask the young man later. "We have reason to doubt Hattori."

"If that is the case, why bring him with you?" Hakuba asked, drawing back. "And furthermore, into _my_ palace?"

"Because at the moment, we're lacking in answers." Shinichi told him frankly. "Pandora vanishing not long after the raven black witch makes a move in this world again... I can't think of it as merely a coincidence. If she has sent us one of her familiars in the form of a human, I cannot help but wonder why."

"You are hoping he slips up." Hakuba observed. "Still, it is dangerous, you must know that."

"It's that, and also the fact that Hattori..." Trailing off, Shinichi's brows knitted together, trying to think of the best way to phrase it. "...he has suspicious points, to be sure, but he doesn't appear as if he is truly in anyone's thrall. He's far too independent for that."

"In the first place, even Miyano-sensei doesn't know much about how the curse works." Eisuke spoke up. "But I agree with Shinichi-kun, at least. I can't say that I fully trust Hattori-kun, but I can't say with certainty either that he has taken to her curse either. If we're wrong..."

"If we are wrong, it could hold the possibility of creating an international incident." Hakuba finished, heaving a short sigh. "I cannot imagine that the princess would take fondly of the idea of her knight being mistreated, should she learn of it should the two reunite. Even with her country in the state it is, it will still be wise to avoid such boorish behavior without any solid proof."

"Well..." Trailing off a little, Shinichi couldn't find how to express that wasn't exactly what he was worried about, but he supposed that a prince would have different priorities from him. "It's along those lines, yes."

"Very well. I understand." Hakuba said, getting to his feet. "No wonder you turned down my offer of taking up residence at the palace while you are here."

"And? Does Hattori-kun suspect you suspect?" Hakuba asked.

"I'm pretty sure he does." Eisuke replied. "But he hasn't said anything yet. That's part of what makes it strange."

"True, he does not seem to be the type who is loathe to avoid confrontation. Start it, rather." Hakuba mused. "Perhaps we cannot rule out that the issue is not so black and white as we might suspect."

"Yes." Shinichi nodded. "Eisuke-kun was sent here by the witch of our country to keep an eye on him, for the time being."

"You did mention her, yes." Hakuba observed. "The ash gray witch, correct? Regarding this matter, I would rather like the chance to ask her some questions myself."

"I will see if I can arrange it." Shinichi told him. "But on the subject of the raven black witch, Miyano seems to be awfully loathe to answer."

"I imagine most witches would be." Hakuba noted. "But perhaps she can help us find the other witch that we are currently searching for. Are you familiar with her?"

"The lunar white witch?" Shinichi asked, before shaking his head. "No, though I have heard her mentioned once in passing."

"You might be able to ask Hattori-kun." Eisuke ventured. "From the sound of it, he was born in Lamia before he was brought to Naniwa, and given her rumored relationship to the raven black witch, we might be able to glean something from his reaction to being asked."

"That is true." With a firm nod of his head, Hakuba stepped away from his desk. "In that case, let us not waste any further time. With every hour that passes, Nakamori-san could be in more danger."

"Hopefully the same cannot be said of your princess, Kudo-kun."

"Well, if it comes to that, I suppose it's all I can do to put my faith in this clever bodyguard that she hired."

* * *

"Are you catching a cold, Sera-chan?"

"Ah, no. It's probably only just someone talking about me." Shaking her head, Sera gave Sonoko a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. More importantly, look- we're about to the exit."

"It's about time!" Sonoko exclaimed. "If I had to ride around in this dark forest anymore, I think I might very well lose it!"

"Well, that would be worrisome." Sera noted. "I'm sure you'll want to rest, but I want to get a lead on this Kudo-kun as much as possible. If he's as clever as you say, I don't think it will take him long to figure out where it is that we've gone to, especially if he suspects as to the reason why you left the palace in the first place."

"Sorry, Kazuha-chan, but could I perhaps ask you to arrange for a meal for us?" Sera asked, turning in her saddle so that she looked back towards her. "We'll meet up with you after we ask the lord of this village a few questions. The faster we can eat and refresh our supplies, the faster we can leave after that."

"I can take care of it." Kazuha said, nodding her head. "But how will ya figure out where I am?"

"In a village this small, there's usually only one tavern." Sera told her. "It probably won't be that hard."

"Really?" Kazuha blinked, a faint frown on her face. "Well, now that ya mention it, it seemed that way in a lot of the small villages that Heiji an' I passed through. Alright, I'll arrange things. But don't blame me if I start eatin' before ya! I'm starvin' after all this ridin'!"

"Do you still have the gold I lent you?" Sonoko asked. "In a small place like this, if you flash even one around, they'll probably treat you like a queen."

"Well, I was plannin' on becomin' one of those anyways." Kazuha told her, trying to keep her smile from being too strained. "Then, let's go our separate ways once we reach the village. Hopefully ya can find some good information, Sera-san."

"Hopefully." Sera said. "You too, I hope."

"Let's hope."


End file.
